TO JUDITH OF RANDOLPH MASSACHUSETTS

THE SEA FAIRIES

BY L. FRANK BAUM

AUTHOR OF THE EMERALD CITY OF OZ, DOROTHY AND THEWIZARD IN OZ, OZMA OF OZ, THE ROAD TO OZ, THE LAND OF OZ, ETC. 

ILLUSTRATED BYJOHN R. NEILL

THE oceans are big and broad. I believe two-thirds of theearth's surface is covered with water. What people inhabitthis water has always been a subject of curiosity to theinhabitants of the land. Strange creatures come from the seasat times, and perhaps in the ocean depths are many, more strangethan mortal eye has ever gazed upon. 

This story is fanciful. In it the sea people talk and actmuch as we do, and the mermaids especially are not unlike thefairies with whom we have learned to be familiar. Yet theyare real sea people, for all that, and with the exception of Zogthe Magician they are all supposed to exist in the ocean's depths. 

I am told that some very learned people deny that mermaidsor sea-serpents have ever inhabited the oceans, but it would bevery difficult for them to prove such an assertion unless they hadlived under the water as Trot and Cap'n Bill did in this story. 

I hope my readers who have so long followed Dorothy'sadventures in the Land of Oz will be interested in Trot's equallystrange experiences. The ocean has always appealed to me asa veritable wonderland, and this story has been suggested to memany times by my young correspondents in their letters. Indeed, a good many children have implored me to "write somethingabout the mermaids, " and I have willingly granted the request. 

Hollywood, 1911. 

L. FRANK BAUM. 

LIST OF CHAPTERS

CHAPTER

 1 TROT AND CAP'N BILL 2 THE MERMAIDS 3 THE DEPTHS OF THE DEEP BLUE SEA 4 THE PALACE OF QUEEN AQUAREINE 5 THE SEA-SERPENT 6 EXPLORING THE OCEAN 7 THE ARISTOCRATIC CODFISH 8 A BANQUET UNDER WATER 9 THE BASHFUL OCTOPUS 10 THE UNDISCOVERED ISLAND 11 ZOG THE TERRIBLE AND HIS SEA DEVILS 12 THE ENCHANTED ISLAND 13 PRISONERS OF THE SEA MONSTER 14 CAP'N JOE AND CAP'N BILL 15 THE MAGIC OF THE MERMAIDS 16 THE TOP OF THE GREAT DOME 17 THE QUEEN'S GOLDEN SWORD 18 A DASH FOR LIBERTY 19 KING ANKO TO THE RESCUE 20 THE HOME OF THE OCEAN MONARCH 21 KING JOE 22 TROT LIVES TO TELL THE TALE

CHAPTER 1

TROT AND CAP'N BILL

"Nobody, " said Cap'n Bill solemnly, "ever sawr a mermaid an' livedto tell the tale. "

"Why not?" asked Trot, looking earnestly up into the old sailor'sface. 

They were seated on a bench built around a giant acacia tree thatgrew just at the edge of the bluff. Below them rolled the blue wavesof the great Pacific. A little way behind them was the house, a neatframe cottage painted white and surrounded by huge eucalyptus andpepper trees. Still farther behind that--a quarter of a mile distantbut built upon a bend of the coast--was the village, overlooking apretty bay. 

Cap'n Bill and Trot came often to this tree to sit and watch theocean below them. The sailor man had one "meat leg" and one "hickoryleg, " and he often said the wooden one was the best of the two. OnceCap'n Bill had commanded and owned the "Anemone, " a trading schoonerthat plied along the coast; and in those days Charlie Griffiths, whowas Trot's father, had been the Captain's mate. But ever since Cap'nBill's accident, when he lost his leg, Charlie Griffiths had beenthe captain of the little schooner while his old master livedpeacefully ashore with the Griffiths family. 

This was about the time Trot was born, and the old sailor becamevery fond of the baby girl. Her real name was Mayre, but when shegrew big enough to walk, she took so many busy little steps everyday that both her mother and Cap'n Bill nicknamed her "Trot, " and soshe was thereafter mostly called. 

It was the old sailor who taught the child to love the sea, to loveit almost as much as he and her father did, and these two, whorepresented the "beginning and the end of life, " became firm friendsand constant companions. 

"Why hasn't anybody seen a mermaid and lived?" asked Trot again. 

"'Cause mermaids is fairies, an' ain't meant to be seen by us mortalfolk, " replied Cap'n Bill. 

"But if anyone happens to see 'em, what then, Cap'n?"

"Then, " he answered, slowly wagging his head, "the mermaids give 'ema smile an' a wink, an' they dive into the water an' gets drownded. "

"S'pose they knew how to swim, Cap'n Bill?"

"That don't make any diff'rence, Trot. The mermaids live deep down, an' the poor mortals never come up again. "

The little girl was thoughtful for a moment. "But why do folks divein the water when the mermaids smile an' wink?" she asked. 

"Mermaids, " he said gravely, "is the most beautiful creatures in theworld--or the water, either. You know what they're like, Trot, they's got a lovely lady's form down to the waist, an' then theother half of 'em's a fish, with green an' purple an' pink scalesall down it. "

"Have they got arms, Cap'n Bill?"

"'Course, Trot; arms like any other lady. An' pretty faces thatsmile an' look mighty sweet an' fetchin'. Their hair is long an'soft an' silky, an' floats all around 'em in the water. When theycomes up atop the waves, they wring the water out'n their hair andsing songs that go right to your heart. If anybody is unlucky enoughto be 'round jes' then, the beauty o' them mermaids an' their sweetsongs charm 'em like magic; so's they plunge into the waves to getto the mermaids. But the mermaids haven't any hearts, Trot, nomore'n a fish has; so they laughs when the poor people drown an'don't care a fig. That's why I says, an' I says it true, that nobodynever sawr a mermaid an' lived to tell the tale. "

"Nobody?" asked Trot. 

"Nobody a tall. "

"Then how do you know, Cap'n Bill?" asked the little girl, lookingup into his face with big, round eyes. 

Cap'n Bill coughed. Then he tried to sneeze, to gain time. Then hetook out his red cotton handkerchief and wiped his bald head withit, rubbing hard so as to make him think clearer. "Look, Trot; ain'tthat a brig out there?" he inquired, pointing to a sail far out inthe sea. 

"How does anybody know about mermaids if those who have seen themnever lived to tell about them?" she asked again. 

"Know what about 'em, Trot?"

"About their green and pink scales and pretty songs and wet hair. "

"They don't know, I guess. But mermaids jes' natcherly has to belike that, or they wouldn't be mermaids. "

She thought this over. "Somebody MUST have lived, Cap'n Bill, " shedeclared positively. "Other fairies have been seen by mortals; whynot mermaids?"

"P'raps they have, Trot, p'raps they have, " he answered musingly. "I'm tellin' you as it was told to me, but I never stopped toinquire into the matter so close before. Seems like folks wouldn'tknow so much about mermaids if they hadn't seen 'em; an' yetaccordin' to all accounts the victim is bound to get drownded. "

"P'raps, " suggested Trot softly, "someone found a fotygraph of oneof 'em. "

"That might o' been, Trot, that might o' been, " answered Cap'n Bill. 

A nice man was Cap'n Bill, and Trot knew he always liked to explaineverything so she could fully understand it. The aged sailor was nota very tall man, and some people might have called him chubby, oreven fat. He wore a blue sailor shirt with white anchors worked onthe corners of the broad, square collar, and his blue trousers werevery wide at the bottom. He always wore one trouser leg over hiswooden limb and sometimes it would flutter in the wind like a flagbecause it was so wide and the wooden leg so slender. His roughkersey coat was a pea-jacket and came down to his waistline. In thebig pockets of his jacket he kept a wonderful jackknife, and hispipe and tobacco, and many bits of string, and matches and keys andlots of other things. Whenever Cap'n Bill thrust a chubby hand intoone of his pockets, Trot watched him with breathless interest, forshe never knew what he was going to pull out. 

The old sailor's face was brown as a berry. He had a fringe of hairaround the back of his head and a fringe of whisker around the edgeof his face, running from ear to ear and underneath his chin. Hiseyes were light blue and kind in expression. His nose was big andbroad, and his few teeth were not strong enough to crack nuts with. 

Trot liked Cap'n Bill and had a great deal of confidence in hiswisdom, and a great admiration for his ability to make tops andwhistles and toys with that marvelous jackknife of his. In thevillage were many boys and girls of her own age, but she never hadas much fun playing with them as she had wandering by the seaaccompanied by the old sailor and listening to his fascinatingstories. 

She knew all about the Flying Dutchman, and Davy Jones' Locker, andCaptain Kidd, and how to harpoon a whale or dodge an iceberg orlasso a seal. Cap'n Bill had been everywhere in the world, almost, on his many voyages. He had been wrecked on desert islands likeRobinson Crusoe and been attacked by cannibals, and had a host ofother exciting adventures. So he was a delightful comrade for thelittle girl, and whatever Cap'n Bill knew Trot was sure to know intime. 

"How do the mermaids live?" she asked. "Are they in caves, or justin the water like fishes, or how?"

"Can't say, Trot, " he replied. "I've asked divers about that, butnone of 'em ever run acrost a mermaid's nest yet, as I've heard of. "

"If they're fairies, " she said, "their homes must be very pretty. "

"Mebbe so, Trot, but damp. They are sure to be damp, you know. "

"I'd like to see a mermaid, Cap'n Bill, " said the child earnestly. 

"What, an' git drownded?" he exclaimed. 

"No, and live to tell the tale. If they're beautiful, and laughing, and sweet, there can't be much harm in them, I'm sure. "

"Mermaids is mermaids, " remarked Cap'n Bill in his most solemnvoice. "It wouldn't do us any good to mix up with 'em, Trot. "

"May-re! May-re!" called a voice from the house. 

"Yes, Mamma!"

"You an' Cap'n Bill come in to supper. "

CHAPTER 2

THE MERMAIDS

The next morning, as soon as Trot had helped wipe the breakfastdishes and put them away in the cupboard, the little girl and Cap'nBill started out toward the bluff. The air was soft and warm and thesun turned the edges of the waves into sparkling diamonds. Acrossthe bay the last of the fisherboats was speeding away out to sea, for well the fishermen knew this was an ideal day to catch rockbass, barracuda and yellowtail. 

The old man and the young girl stood on the bluff and watched allthis with interest. Here was their world. "It isn't a bit rough thismorning. Let's have a boat ride, Cap'n Bill, " said the child. 

"Suits me to a T, " declared the sailor. So they found the windingpath that led down the face of the cliff to the narrow beach belowand cautiously began the descent. Trot never minded the steep pathor the loose rocks at all, but Cap'n Bill's wooden leg was not souseful on a downgrade as on a level, and he had to be careful not toslip and take a tumble. 

But by and by they reached the sands and walked to a spot justbeneath the big acacia tree that grew on the bluff. Halfway to thetop of the cliff hung suspended a little shed-like structure thatsheltered Trot's rowboat, for it was necessary to pull the boat outof reach of the waves which beat in fury against the rocks at hightide. About as high up as Cap'n Bill could reach was an iron ringsecurely fastened to the cliff, and to this ring was tied a rope. The old sailor unfastened the knot and began paying out the rope, and the rowboat came out of its shed and glided slowly downward tothe beach. It hung on a pair of davits and was lowered just as aboat is lowered from a ship's side. When it reached the sands, thesailor unhooked the ropes and pushed the boat to the water's edge. It was a pretty little craft, light and strong, and Cap'n Bill knewhow to sail it or row it, as Trot might desire. 

Today they decided to row, so the girl climbed into the bow and hercompanion stuck his wooden leg into the water's edge "so he wouldn'tget his foot wet" and pushed off the little boat as he climbedaboard. Then he seized the oars and began gently paddling. 

"Whither away, Commodore Trot?" he asked gaily. 

"I don't care, Cap'n. It's just fun enough to be on the water, " sheanswered, trailing one hand overboard. So he rowed around by theNorth Promontory, where the great caves were, and much as they wereenjoying the ride, they soon began to feel the heat of the sun. 

"That's Dead Man's Cave, 'cause a skellington was found there, "observed the child as they passed a dark, yawning mouth in thecliff. "And that's Bumble Cave, 'cause the bumblebees make nests inthe top of it. And here's Smuggler's Cave, 'cause the smugglers usedto hide things in it. "

She knew all the caves well, and so did Cap'n Bill. Many of themopened just at the water's edge, and it was possible to row theirboat far into their dusky depths. 

"And here's Echo Cave, " she continued, dreamily, as they slowlymoved along the coast, "and Giant's Cave, and--oh, Cap'n Bill! Doyou s'pose there were ever any giants in that cave?"

"'Pears like there must o' been, Trot, or they wouldn't o' named itthat name, " he replied, pausing to wipe his bald head with the redhandkerchief while the oars dragged in the water. 

"We've never been into that cave, Cap'n, " she remarked, looking atthe small hole in the cliff--an archway through which the waterflowed. "Let's go in now. "

"What for, Trot?"

"To see if there's a giant there. "

"Hm. Aren't you 'fraid?"

"No, are you? I just don't b'lieve it's big enough for a giant toget into. "

"Your father was in there once, " remarked Cap'n Bill, "an' he saysit's the biggest cave on the coast, but low down. It's full o'water, an' the water's deep down to the very bottom o' the ocean;but the rock roof's liable to bump your head at high tide . "

"It's low tide now, " returned Trot. "And how could any giant live inthere if the roof is so low down?"

"Why, he couldn't, mate. I reckon they must have called it Giant'sCave 'cause it's so big, an' not 'cause any giant man lived there. "

"Let's go in, " said the girl again. "I'd like to 'splore it. "

"All right, " replied the sailor. "It'll be cooler in there than outhere in the sun. We won't go very far, for when the tide turns wemightn't get out again. " He picked up the oars and rowed slowlytoward the cave. The black archway that marked its entrance seemedhardly big enough to admit the boat at first, but as they drewnearer, the opening became bigger. The sea was very calm here, forthe headland shielded it from the breeze. 

"Look out fer your head, Trot!" cautioned Cap'n Bill as the boatglided slowly into the rocky arch. But it was the sailor who had toduck, instead of the little girl. Only for a moment, though. Justbeyond the opening the cave was higher, and as the boat floated intothe dim interior they found themselves on quite an extensive branchof the sea. For a time neither of them spoke and only the softlapping of the water against the sides of the boat was heard. Abeautiful sight met the eyes of the two adventurers and held themdumb with wonder and delight. 

It was not dark in this vast cave, yet the light seemed to come fromunderneath the water, which all around them glowed with an exquisitesapphire color. Where the little waves crept up the sides of therocks they shone like brilliant jewels, and every drop of sprayseemed a gem fit to deck a queen. Trot leaned her chin on her handsand her elbows on her lap and gazed at this charming sight with realenjoyment. Cap'n Bill drew in the oars and let the boat drift whereit would while he also sat silently admiring the scene. 

Slowly the little craft crept farther and farther into the diminterior of the vast cavern, while its two passengers feasted theireyes on the beauties constantly revealed. Both the old seaman andthe little girl loved the ocean in all its various moods. To them itwas a constant companion and a genial comrade. If it stormed andraved, they laughed with glee; if it rolled great breakers againstthe shore, they clapped their hands joyfully; if it lay slumberingat their feet, they petted and caressed it, but always they lovedit. 

Here was the ocean yet. It had crept under the dome of overhangingrock to reveal itself crowned with sapphires and dressed in azuregown, revealing in this guise new and unexpected charms. "Goodmorning, Mayre, " said a sweet voice. 

Trot gave a start and looked around her in wonder. Just beside herin the water were little eddies--circles within circles--such as arecaused when anything sinks below the surface. "Did--did you hearthat, Cap'n Bill?" she whispered solemnly. 

Cap'n Bill did not answer. He was staring with eyes that fairlybulged out at a place behind Trot's back, and he shook a little, asif trembling from cold. Trot turned half around, and then shestared, too. Rising from the blue water was a fair face around whichfloated a mass of long, blonde hair. It was a sweet, girlish facewith eyes of the same deep blue as the water and red lips whosedainty smile disposed two rows of pearly teeth. The cheeks wereplump and rosy, the brows gracefully penciled, while the chin wasrounded and had a pretty dimple in it. 

"The most beauti-ful-est in all the world, " murmured Cap'n Bill in avoice of horror, "an' no one has ever lived to--to tell the tale!"

There was a peal of merry laughter at this, laughter that rippledand echoed throughout the cavern. Just at Trot's side appeared a newface even fairer than the other, with a wealth of brown hairwreathing the lovely features. And the eyes smiled kindly into thoseof the child. "Are you a--a mermaid?" asked Trot curiously. She wasnot a bit afraid. They seemed both gentle and friendly. 

"Yes, dear, " was the soft answer. 

"We are all mermaids!" chimed a laughing chorus, and here and there, all about the boat, appeared pretty faces lying just upon thesurface of the water. 

"Are you part fishes?" asked Trot, greatly pleased by this wonderfulsight. 

"No, we are all mermaid, " replied the one with the brown hair. "Thefishes are partly like us, because they live in the sea and mustmove about. And you are partly like us, Mayre dear, but have awkwardstiff legs so you may walk on the land. But the mermaids livedbefore fishes and before mankind, so both have borrowed somethingfrom us. "

"Then you must be fairies if you've lived always, " remarked Trot, nodding wisely. 

"We are, dear. We are the water fairies, " answered the one with theblonde hair, coming nearer and rising till her slender white throatshowed plainly. 

"We--we're goners, Trot!" sighed Cap'n Bill with a white, woebegoneface. 

"I guess not, Cap'n, " she answered calmly. "These pretty mermaidsaren't going to hurt us, I'm sure. "

"No indeed, " said the first one who had spoken. "If we were wickedenough to wish to harm you, our magic could reach you as easily uponthe land as in this cave. But we love little girls dearly and wishonly to please them and make their lives more happy. "

"I believe that!" cried Trot earnestly. 

Cap'n Bill groaned. 

"Guess why we have appeared to you, " said another mermaid, coming tothe side of the boat. 

"Why?" asked the child. 

"We heard you say yesterday you would like to see a mermaid, and sowe decided to grant your wish. "

"That was real nice of you, " said Trot gratefully. 

"Also, we heard all the foolish things Cap'n Bill said about us, "remarked the brown-haired one smilingly, "and we wanted to prove tohim that they were wrong. "

"I on'y said what I've heard, " protested Cap'n Bill. "Never havin'seen a mermaid afore, I couldn't be ackerate, an' I never expectedto see one an' live to tell the tale. "

Again the cave rang with merry laughter, and as it died away, Trotsaid, "May I see your scales, please? And are they green and purpleand pink like Cap'n Bill said?" They seemed undecided what to say tothis and swam a little way off, where the beautiful heads formed agroup that was delightful to see. Perhaps they talked together, forthe brown-haired mermaid soon came back to the side of the boat andasked, "Would you like to visit our kingdom and see all the wondersthat exist below the sea?"

"I'd like to, " replied Trot promptly, "but I couldn't. I'd getdrowned. "

"That you would, mate!" cried Cap'n Bill. 

"Oh no, " said the mermaid. "We would make you both like one ofourselves, and then you could live within the water as easily as wedo. "

"I don't know as I'd like that, " said the child, "at least foralways. "

"You need not stay with us a moment longer than you please, "returned the mermaid, smiling as if amused at the remark. "Wheneveryou are ready to return home, we promise to bring you to this placeagain and restore to you the same forms you are now wearing. "

"Would I have a fish's tail?" asked Trot earnestly. 

"You would have a mermaid's tail, " was the reply. 

"What color would my scales be--pink, or purple?"

"You may choose the color yourself. "

"Look ahere, Trot!" said Cap'n Bill in excitement. "You ain'tthinkin' o' doin' such a fool thing, are you?"

"'Course I am, " declared the little girl. "We don't get suchinv'tations every day, Cap'n, and if I don't go now I may never findout how the mermaids live. "

"I don't care how they live, myself, " said Cap'n Bill. "I jes' want'em to let ME live. "

"There's no danger, " insisted Trot. 

"I do' know 'bout that. That's what all the other folks said whenthey dove after the mermaids an' got drownded. "

"Who?" asked the girl. 

"I don't know who, but I've heard tell--"

"You've heard that no one ever saw a mermaid and lived, " said Trot. 

"To tell the tale, " he added, nodding. "An' if we dives down likethey says, we won't live ourselves. "

All the mermaids laughed at this, and the brown-haired one said, "Well, if you are afraid, don't come. You may row your boat out ofthis cave and never see us again, if you like. We merely thought itwould please little Mayre, and were willing to show her the sightsof our beautiful home. "

"I'd like to see 'em, all right, " said Trot, her eyes glisteningwith pleasure. 

"So would I, " admitted Cap'n Bill, "if we would live to tell thetale. "

"Don't you believe us?" asked the mermaid, fixing her lovely eyes onthose of the old sailor and smiling prettily. "Are you afraid totrust us to bring you safely back?"

"N-n-no, " said Cap'n Bill, "'tain't that. I've got to look afterTrot. "

"Then you'll have to come with me, " said Trot decidedly, "for I'mgoing to 'cept this inv'tation. If you don't care to come, Cap'nBill, you go home and tell mother I'm visitin' the mermaids. "

"She'd scold me inter shivers!" moaned Cap'n Bill with a shudder. "Iguess I'd ruther take my chance down below. "

"All right, I'm ready, Miss Mermaid, " said Trot. "What shall I do?Jump in, clothes and all?"

"Give me your hand, dear, " answered the mermaid, lifting a lovelywhite arm from the water. Trot took the slender hand and found itwarm and soft and not a bit "fishy. "

"My name is Clia, " continued the mermaid, "and I am a princess inour deep-sea kingdom. "

Just then Trot gave a flop and flopped right out of the boat intothe water. Cap'n Bill caught a gleam of pink scales as his littlefriend went overboard, and the next moment there was Trot's face inthe water among those of the mermaids. She was laughing with glee asshe looked up into Cap'n Bill's face and called, "Come on in, Cap'n!It didn't hurt a bit!"

CHAPTER 3

THE DEPTHS OF THE DEEP BLUE SEA

Cap'n Bill stood up in the boat as if undecided what to do. Never asailor man was more bewildered than this old fellow by thestrangeness of the adventure he had encountered. At first he couldhardly believe it was all true and that he was not dreaming; butthere was Trot in the water, laughing with the mermaids and floatingcomfortably about, and he couldn't leave his dear little companionto make the trip to the depths of the ocean alone. 

"Take my hand, please, Cap'n Bill, " said Princess Clia, reaching herdainty arm toward him; and suddenly the old man took courage andclasped the soft fingers in his own. He had to lean over the boat todo this, and then there came a queer lightness to his legs and hehad a great longing to be in the water. So he gave a flop andflopped in beside Trot, where he found himself comfortable enough, but somewhat frightened. 

"Law sakes!" he gasped. "Here's me in the water with my rheumatics!I'll be that stiff termorrer I can't wiggle. "

"You're wigglin' all right now, " observed Trot. "That's a fine tailyou've got, Cap'n, an' its green scales is jus' beautiful. "

"Are they green, eh?" he asked, twisting around to try to see them. 

"Green as em'ralds, Cap'n. How do they feel?"

"Feel, Trot, feel? Why, this tail beats that ol' wooden leg allholler! I kin do stunts now that I couldn't o' done in a thousandyears with ol' peg. "

"And don't be afraid of the rheumatism, " advised the Princess. "Nomermaid ever catches cold or suffers pain in the water. "

"Is Cap'n Bill a mermaid now?" asked Trot. 

"Why, he's a merMAN, I suppose, " laughed the pretty princess. "Butwhen he gets home, he will be just Cap'n Bill again. "

"Wooden leg an' all?" inquired the child. 

"To be sure, my dear. "

The sailor was now trying his newly discovered power of swimming, and became astonished at the feats he could accomplish. He coulddart this way and that with wonderful speed, and turn and dive, andcaper about in the water far better than he had ever been able to doon land--even before he got the wooden leg. And a curious thingabout this present experience was that the water did not cling tohim and wet him as it had always done before. He still wore hisflannel shirt and pea jacket and his sailor cap; but although he wasin the water and had been underneath the surface, the cloth stillseemed dry and warm. As he dived down and came up again, the dropsflashed from his head and the fringe of beard, but he never neededto wipe his face or eyes at all. 

Trot, too, was having queer experiences and enjoying them. When sheducked under water, she saw plainly everything about her as easilyand distinctly as she had ever seen anything above water. And bylooking over her shoulder she could watch the motion of her newtail, all covered with pretty iridescent pink scales, which gleamedlike jewels. She wore her dress the same as before, and the waterfailed to affect it in the least. 

She now noticed that the mermaids were clothed, too, and theirexquisite gowns were the loveliest thing the little girl had everbeheld. They seemed made of a material that was like sheeny silk, cut low in the neck and with wide, flowing sleeves that seldomcovered the shapely, white arms of her new friends. The gowns hadtrains that floated far behind the mermaids as they swam, but wereso fleecy and transparent that the sparkle of their scales might beseen reaching back of their waists, where the human form ended andthe fish part began. The sea fairies wore strings of splendid pearlstwined around their throats, while more pearls were sewn upon theirgowns for trimmings. They did not dress their beautiful hair at all, but let it float around them in clouds. 

The little girl had scarcely time to observe all this when theprincess said, "Now, my dear, if you are ready, we will begin ourjourney, for it is a long way to our palaces. "

"All right, " answered Trot, and took the hand extended to her with atrustful smile. 

"Will you allow me to guide you, Cap'n Bill?" asked the blondemermaid, extending her hand to the old sailor. 

"Of course, ma'am, " he said, taking her fingers rather bashfully. 

"My name is Merla, " she continued, "and I am cousin to PrincessClia. We must all keep together, you know, and I will hold your handto prevent your missing the way. "

While she spoke they began to descend through the water, and it grewquite dark for a time because the cave shut out the light. Butpresently Trot, who was eagerly looking around her, began to noticethe water lighten and saw they were coming into brighter parts ofthe sea. "We have left the cave now, " said Clia, "and may swimstraight home. "

"I s'pose there are no winding roads in the ocean, " remarked thechild, swimming swiftly beside her new friend. 

"Oh yes indeed. At the bottom, the way is far from being straight orlevel, " replied Clia. "But we are in mid-water now, where nothingwill hinder our journey, unless--"

She seemed to hesitate, so Trot asked, "Unless what?"

"Unless we meet with disagreeable creatures, " said the Princess. "The mid-water is not as safe as the very bottom, and that is thereason we are holding your hands. "

"What good would that do?" asked Trot. 

"You must remember that we are fairies, " said Princess Clia. "Forthat reason, nothing in the ocean can injure us, but you two aremortals and therefore not entirely safe at all times unless weprotect you. "

Trot was thoughtful for a few moments and looked around her a littleanxiously. Now and then a dark form would shoot across their pathwayor pass them at some distance, but none was near enough for the girlto see plainly what it might be. Suddenly they swam right into a bigschool of fishes, all yellowtails and of very large size. There musthave been hundreds of them lying lazily in the water, and when theysaw the mermaids they merely wriggled to one side and opened a pathfor the sea fairies to pass through. "Will they hurt us?" askedTrot. 

"No indeed, " laughed the Princess. "Fishes are stupid creaturesmostly, and this family is quite harmless. "

"How about sharks?" asked Cap'n Bill, who was swimming gracefullybeside them, his hand clutched in that of pretty Merla. 

"Sharks may indeed be dangerous to you, " replied Clia, "so I adviseyou to keep them at a safe distance. They never dare attempt to bitea mermaid, and it may be they will think you belong to our band; butit is well to avoid them if possible. "

"Don't get careless, Cap'n, " added Trot. 

"I surely won't, mate, " he replied. "You see, I didn't use to be'fraid o' sharks 'cause if they came near I'd stick my wooden leg at'em. But now, if they happens to fancy these green scales, it's allup with ol' Bill. "

"Never fear, " said Merla, "I'll take care of you on our journey, andin our palaces you will find no sharks at all. "

"Can't they get in?" he asked anxiously. 

"No. The palaces of the mermaids are inhabited only by themselves. "

"Is there anything else to be afraid of in the sea?" asked thelittle girl after they had swum quite a while in silence. 

"One or two things, my dear, " answered Princess Clia. "Of course, wemermaids have great powers, being fairies; yet among the sea peopleis one nearly as powerful as we are, and that is the devilfish. "

"I know, " said Trot. "I've seen 'em. "

"You have seen the smaller ones, I suppose, which sometimes rise tothe surface or go near the shore, and are often caught byfishermen, " said Clia, "but they are only second cousins of theterrible deep-sea devilfish to which I refer. "

"Those ones are bad enough, though, " declared Cap'n Bill. "If youknow any worse ones, I don't want a interduction to 'em. "

"The monster devilfish inhabit caves in the rugged, mountainousregions of the ocean, " resumed the Princess, "and they are evilspirits who delight in injuring all who meet them. None lives nearour palaces, so there is little danger of your meeting any while youare our guests. "

"I hope we won't, " said Trot. 

"None for me, " added Cap'n Bill. "Devils of any sort ought to begive a wide berth, an' devilfish is worser ner sea serpents. "

"Oh, do you know the sea serpents?" asked Merla as if surprised. 

"Not much I don't, " answered the sailor, "but I've heard tell offolks as has seen 'em. "

"Did they ever live to tell the tale?" asked Trot. 

"Sometimes, " he replied. "They're jes' ORful creatures, mate. "

"How easy it is to be mistaken, " said Princess Clia softly. "We knowthe sea serpents very well, and we like them. "

"You do!" exclaimed Trot. 

"Yes, dear. There are only three of them in all the world, and notonly are they harmless, but quite bashful and shy. They arekind-hearted, too, and although not beautiful in appearance, they domany kind deeds and are generally beloved. "

"Where do they live?" asked the child. 

"The oldest one, who is king of this ocean, lives quite near us, "said Clia. "His name is Anko. "

"How old is he?" inquired Cap'n Bill curiously. 

"No one knows. He was here before the ocean came, and he stayed herebecause he learned to like the water better than the land as ahabitation. Perhaps King Anko is ten thousand years old, perhapstwenty thousand. We often lose track of the centuries down here inthe sea. "

"That's pretty old, isn't it?" said Trot. "Older than Cap'n Bill, Iguess. "

"Summat, " chuckled the sailor man, "summat older, mate, but notmuch. P'raps the sea serpent ain't got gray whiskers. "

"Oh yes he has, " responded Merla with a laugh. "And so have his twobrothers, Unko and Inko. They each have an ocean of their own, youknow; and once every hundred years they come here to visit theirbrother Anko. So we've seen all three many times. "

"Why, how old are mermaids, then?" asked Trot, looking around at thebeautiful creatures wonderingly. 

"We are like all ladies of uncertain age, " rejoined the Princesswith a smile. "We don't care to tell. "

"Older than Cap'n Bill?"

"Yes, dear, " said Clia. 

"But we haven't any gray whiskers, " added Merla merrily, "and ourhearts are ever young. "

Trot was thoughtful. It made her feel solemn to be in the company ofsuch old people. The band of mermaids seemed to all appearancesyoung and fresh and not a bit as if they'd been soaked in water forhundreds of years. The girl began to take more notice of the seamaidens following after her. More than a dozen were in the group;all were lovely in appearance and clothed in the same gauzy robes asMerla and the Princess. These attendants did not join in theconversation but darted here and there in sportive play, and oftenTrot heard the tinkling chorus of their laughter. Whatever doubtsmight have arisen in the child's mind through the ignorant tales ofher sailor friend, she now found the mermaids to be light-hearted, joyous and gay, and from the first she had not been in the leastafraid of her new companions. 

"How much farther do we have to go?" asked Cap'n Bill presently. 

"Are you getting tired?" Merla inquired. 

"No, " said he, "but I'm sorter anxious to see what your palaces looklike. Inside the water ain't as interestin' as the top of it. It'sfine swimmin', I'll agree, an' I like it, but there ain't nuthin'special to see that I can make out. "

"That is true, sir, " replied the Princess. "We have purposely ledyou through the mid-water hoping you would see nothing to alarm youuntil you get more accustomed to our ocean life. Moreover, we areable to travel more swiftly here. How far do you think we havealready come, Cap'n?"

"Oh, 'bout two mile, " he answered. 

"Well, we are now hundreds of miles from the cave where we started, "she told him. 

"You don't mean it!" he exclaimed in wonder. 

"Then there's magic in it, " announced Trot soberly. 

"True, my dear. To avoid tiring you and to save time, we have used alittle of our fairy power, " said Clia. "The result is that we arenearing our home. Let us go downward a bit, now, for you must knowthat the mermaid palaces are at the very bottom of the ocean, and inits deepest part. "

CHAPTER 4

THE PALACE OF QUEEN AQUAREINE

Trot was surprised to find it was not at all dark or gloomy as theydescended farther into the deep sea. Things were not quite so clearto her eyes as they had been in the bright sunshine above theocean's surface, but every object was distinct nevertheless, as ifshe saw through a pane of green-tainted glass. The water was veryclear except for this green shading, and the little girl had neverbefore felt so light and buoyant as she did now. It was no effort atall to dart through the water, which seemed to support her on allsides. 

"I don't believe I weigh anything at all, " she said to Cap'n Bill. 

"No more do I, Trot, " said he. "But that's nat'ral, seein' as we'reunder water so far. What bothers me most is how we manage tobreathe, havin' no gills like fishes have. "

"Are you sure we haven't any gills?" she asked, lifting her freehand to feel her throat. 

"Sure. Ner the mermaids haven't any, either, " declared Cap'n Bill. 

"Then, " said Trot, "we're breathing by magic. "

The mermaids laughed at this shrewd remark, and the Princess said, "You have guessed correctly, my dear. Go a little slower, now, forthe palaces are in sight. "

"Where?" asked Trot eagerly. 

"Just before you. "

"In that grove of trees?" inquired the girl. And really, it seemedto her that they were approaching a beautiful grove. The bottom ofthe sea was covered with white sand, in which grew many varieties ofsea shrubs with branches like those of trees. Not all of them weregreen, however, for the branches and leaves were of a variety ofgorgeous colors. Some were purple, shading down to a light lavender;and there were reds all the way from a delicate rose-pink to vividshades of scarlet. Orange, yellow and blue shades were there, too, mingling with the sea-greens in a most charming manner. Altogether, Trot found the brilliant coloring somewhat bewildering. 

These sea shrubs, which in size were quite as big and tall as thetrees on earth, were set so close together that their branchesentwined; but there were several avenues leading into the groves, and at the entrance to each avenue the girl noticed several largefishes with long spikes growing upon their noses. 

"Those are swordfishes, " remarked the Princess as she led the bandpast one of these avenues. 

"Are they dang'rous?" asked Trot. 

"Not to us, " was the reply. "The swordfishes are among our mostvalued and faithful servants, guarding the entrances to the gardenswhich surround our palaces. If any creatures try to enter uninvited, these guards fight them and drive them away. Their swords are sharpand strong, and they are fierce fighters, I assure you. "

"I've known 'em to attack ships, an' stick their swords rightthrough the wood, " said Cap'n Bill. 

"Those belonged to the wandering tribes of swordfishes, " explainedthe Princess. "These, who are our servants, are too sensible andintelligent to attack ships. "

The band now headed into a broad passage through the "gardens, " asthe mermaids called these gorgeous groves, and the great swordfishesguarding the entrance made way for them to pass, afterward resumingtheir posts with watchful eyes. As they slowly swam along theavenue, Trot noticed that some of the bushes seemed to have fruitsgrowing upon them, but what these fruits might be neither she norCap'n Bill could guess. 

The way wound here and there for some distance, till finally theycame to a more open space all carpeted with sea flowers of exquisitecolorings. Although Trot did not know it, these flowers resembledthe rare orchids of earth in their fanciful shapes and marveloushues. The child did not examine them very closely, for across thecarpet of flowers loomed the magnificent and extensive palaces ofthe mermaids. 

These palaces were built of coral; white, pink and yellow beingused, and the colors arranged in graceful designs. The front of themain palace, which now faced them, had circular ends connecting thestraight wall, not unlike the architecture we are all familiar with;yet there seemed to be no windows to the building, although a seriesof archways served as doors. 

Arriving at one of the central archways, the band of sea maidensseparated. Princess Clia and Merla leading Trot and Cap'n Bill intothe palace, while the other mermaids swam swiftly away to their ownquarters. 

"Welcome!" said Clia in her sweet voice. "Here you are surroundedonly by friends and are in perfect safety. Please accept ourhospitality as freely as you desire, for we consider you honoredguests. I hope you will like our home, " she added a little shyly. 

"We are sure to, dear Princess, " Trot hastened to say. 

Then Clia escorted them through the archway and into a lofty hall. It was not a mere grotto, but had smoothly built walls of pink coralinlaid with white. Trot at first thought there was no roof, forlooking upward she could see the water all above them. But theprincess, reading her thought, said with a smile, "Yes, there is aroof, or we would be unable to keep all the sea people out of ourpalace. But the roof is made of glass to admit the light. "

"Glass!" cried the astonished child. "Then it must be an awful bigpane of glass. "

"It is, " agreed Clia. "Our roofs are considered quite wonderful, andwe owe them to the fairy powers of our queen. Of course, youunderstand there is no natural way to make glass under water. "

"No indeed, " said Cap'n Bill. And then he asked, "Does your queenlive here?"

"Yes. She is waiting now, in her throne room, to welcome you. Shallwe go in?"

"I'd just as soon, " replied Trot rather timidly, but she boldlyfollowed the princess, who glided through another arch into anothersmall room where several mermaids were reclining upon couches ofcoral. They were beautifully dressed and wore many sparkling jewels. 

"Her Majesty is awaiting the strangers, Princess Clia, " announcedone of these. "You are asked to enter at once. "

"Come, then, " said Clia, and once more taking Trot's hand, she ledthe girl through still another arch, while Merla followed justbehind them, escorting Cap'n Bill. They now entered an apartment sogorgeous that the child fairly gasped with astonishment. The queen'sthrone room was indeed the grandest and most beautiful chamber inall the ocean palaces. Its coral walls were thickly inlaid withmother-of-pearl, exquisitely shaded and made into borders and floraldecorations. In the corners were cabinets, upon the shelves of whichmany curious shells were arranged, all beautifully polished. Thefloor glittered with gems arranged in patterns of flowers, like abrilliant carpet. 

Near the center of the room was a raised platform of mother-of-pearlupon which stood a couch thickly studded with diamonds, rubies, emeralds and pearls. Here reclined Queen Aquareine, a being solovely that Trot gazed upon her spellbound and Cap'n Bill took offhis sailor cap and held it in his hands. 

All about the room were grouped other mother-of-pearl couches, notraised like that of the queen, and upon each of these reclined apretty mermaid. They could not sit down as we do, Trot readilyunderstood, because of their tails; but they rested very gracefullyupon the couches with their trailing gauzy robes arranged in fleecyfolds. 

When Clia and Merla escorted the strangers down the length of thegreat room toward the royal throne, they met with pleasant looks andsmiles on every side, for the sea maidens were too polite to indulgein curious stares. They paused just before the throne, and the queenraised her head upon one elbow to observe them. "Welcome, Mayre, "she said, "and welcome, Cap'n Bill. I trust you are pleased withyour glimpse of the life beneath the surface of our sea. "

"I am, " answered Trot, looking admiringly at the beautiful face ofthe queen. 

"It's all mighty cur'ous an' strange-like, " said the sailor slowly. "I'd no idee you mermaids were like this, at all!"

"Allow me to explain that it was to correct your wrong ideas aboutus that led me to invite you to visit us, " replied the Queen. "Weusually pay little heed to the earth people, for we are content inour own dominions; but, of course, we know all that goes on uponyour earth. So when Princess Clia chanced to overhear your absurdstatements concerning us, we were greatly amused and decided to letyou see with your own eyes just what we are like. "

"I'm glad you did, " answered Cap'n Bill, dropping his eyes in someconfusion as he remembered his former description of the mermaids. 

"Now that you are here, " continued the Queen in a cordial, friendlytone, "you may as well remain with us a few days and see thewonderful sights of our ocean. "

"I'm much obliged to you, ma'am, " said Trot, "and I'd like to stayever so much, but mother worries jus' dreadfully if we don't gethome in time. "

"I'll arrange all that, " said Aquareine with a smile. 

"How?" asked the girl. 

"I will make your mother forget the passage of time so she will notrealize how long you are away. Then she cannot worry. "

"Can you do that?" inquired Trot. 

"Very easily. I will send your mother into a deep sleep that willlast until you are ready to return home. Just at present she isseated in her chair by the front window, engaged in knitting. " Thequeen paused to raise an arm and wave it slowly to and fro. Then sheadded, "Now your good mother is asleep, little Mayre, and instead ofworries I promise her pleasant dreams. "

"Won't someone rob the house while she's asleep?" asked the childanxiously. 

"No, dear. My charm will protect the house from any intrusion. "

"That's fine!" exclaimed Trot in delight. 

"It's jes' won-erful!" said Cap'n Bill. "I wish I knew it was so. Trot's mother has a awful sharp tongue when she's worried. "

"You may see for yourselves, " declared the Queen, and waved her handagain. At once they saw before them the room in the cottage, withMayre's mother asleep by the window. Her knitting was in her lap, and the cat lay curled up beside her chair. It was all so naturalthat Trot thought she could hear the clock over the fireplace tick. After a moment the scene faded away, when the queen asked withanother smile, "Are you satisfied?"

"Oh yes!" cried Trot. "But how could you do it?"

"It is a form of mirage, " was the reply. "We are able to bring anyearth scene before us whenever we wish. Sometimes these scenes arereflected above the water so that mortals also observe them. "

"I've seen 'em, " said Cap'n Bill, nodding. "I've seen mirages, but Inever knowed what caused 'em afore now. "

"Whenever you see anything you do not understand and wish to askquestions, I will be very glad to answer them, " said the Queen. 

"One thing that bothers me, " said Trot, "is why we don't get wet, being in the ocean with water all around us. "

"That is because no water really touches you, " explained the Queen. "Your bodies have been made just like those of the mermaids in orderthat you may fully enjoy your visit to us. One of our peculiarqualities is that water is never permitted to quite touch ourbodies, or our gowns. Always there remains a very small space, hardly a hair's breadth, between us and the water, which is thereason we are always warm and dry. "

"I see, " said Trot. "That's why you don't get soggy or withered. "

"Exactly, " laughed the Queen, and the other mermaids joined in hermerriment. 

"I s'pose that's how we can breathe without gills, " remarked Cap'nBill thoughtfully. 

"Yes. The air space is constantly replenished from the water, whichcontains air, and this enables us to breathe as freely as you doupon the earth. "

"But we have fins, " said Trot, looking at the fin that stood uprighton Cap'n Bill's back. 

"Yes. They allow us to guide ourselves as we swim, and so are veryuseful, " replied the Queen. 

"They make us more finished, " said Cap'n Bill with a chuckle. Then, suddenly becoming grave, he added, "How about my rheumatics, ma'am?Ain't I likely to get stiffened up with all this dampness?"

"No indeed, " Aquareine answered. "There is no such thing asrheumatism in all our dominions. I promise no evil result shallfollow this visit to us, so please be as happy and contented aspossible. "

CHAPTER 5

THE SEA-SERPENT

Just then Trot happened to look up at the glass roof and saw astartling sight. A big head with a face surrounded by stubby graywhiskers was poised just over them, and the head was connected witha long, curved body that looked much like a sewer pipe. 

"Oh, there is King Anko, " said the Queen, following the child'sgaze. "Open a door and let him in, Clia, for I suppose our oldfriend is anxious to see the earth people. "

"Won't he hurt us?" asked the little girl with a shiver of fear. 

"Who, Anko? Oh no, my dear! We are very fond of the sea serpent, whois king of this ocean, although he does not rule the mermaids. OldAnko is a very agreeable fellow, as you will soon discover. "

"Can he talk?" asked Trot. 

"Yes indeed. "

"And can we understand what he says?"

"Perfectly, " replied the Queen. "I have given you power, while youremain here, to understand the language of every inhabitant of thesea. "

"That's nice, " said Trot gratefully. 

The Princess Clia swam slowly to one of the walls of the throne roomwhere, at a wave of her hand, a round hole appeared in the coral. The sea serpent at once observed this opening and the head left theroof of glass only to reappear presently at the round hole. Throughthis he slowly crawled until his head was just beneath the throne ofQueen Aquareine, who said to him:

"Good morning, your Majesty. I hope you are quite well?"

"Quite well, thank your Majesty, " answered Anko; and then he turnedto the strangers. "I suppose these are the earth folks you wereexpecting?"

"Yes, " returned the Queen. "The girl is named Mayre and the manCap'n Bill. "

While the sea serpent looked at the visitors, they ventured to lookat him. He certainly was a queer creature, yet Trot decided he wasnot at all frightful. His head was round as a ball, but his earswere sharp-pointed and had tassels at the ends of them. His nose wasflat, and his mouth very wide indeed, but his eyes were blue andgentle in expression. The white, stubby hairs that surrounded hisface were not thick like a beard, but scattered and scraggly. Fromthe head, the long, brown body of the sea serpent extended to thehole in the coral wall, which was just big enough to admit it; andhow much more of the body remained outside the child could not tell. On the back of the body were several fins, which made the creaturelook more like an eel than a serpent. 

"The girl is young and the man is old, " said King Anko in a softvoice. "But I'm quite sure Cap'n Bill isn't as old as I am. "

"How old are you?" asked the sailor. 

"I can't say exactly. I can remember several thousands of yearsback, but beyond that my memory fails me. How's your memory, Cap'nBill?"

"You've got me beat, " was the reply. "I'll give in that you're olderthan I am. "

This seemed to please the sea serpent. "Are you well?" he asked. 

"Pretty fair, " said Cap'n Bill. "How's yourself?"

"Oh, I'm very well, thank you, " answered Anko. "I never remember tohave had a pain but three times in my life. The last time was whenJulius Sneezer was on earth. "

"You mean Julius Caesar, " said Trot, correcting him. 

"No, I mean Julius Sneezer, " insisted the Sea Serpent. "That was hisreal name--Sneezer. They called him Caesar sometimes just because hetook everything he could lay hands on. I ought to know, because Isaw him when he was alive. Did you see him when he was alive, Cap'nBill?"

"I reckon not, " admitted the sailor. 

"That time I had a toothache, " continued Anko, "but I got a lobsterto pull the tooth with his claw, so the pain was soon over. "

"Did it hurt to pull it?" asked Trot. 

"Hurt!" exclaimed the Sea Serpent, groaning at the recollection. "Mydear, those creatures have been called lobsters ever since! Thesecond pain I had way back in the time of Nevercouldnever. "

"Oh, I s'pose you mean Nebuchadnezzar, " said Trot. 

"Do you call him that now?" asked the Sea Serpent as if surprised. "He used to be called Nevercouldnever when he was alive, but thisnew way of spelling seems to get everything mixed up. Nebuchadnezzardoesn't mean anything at all, it seems to me. "

"It means he ate grass, " said the child. 

"Oh no, he didn't, " declared the Sea Serpent. "He was the first todiscover that lettuce was good to eat, and he became very fond ofit. The people may have called it grass, but they were wrong. Iought to know, because I was alive when Nevercouldnever lived. Wereyou alive, then?"

"No, " said Trot. 

"The pain I had then, " remarked Anko, "was caused by a kink in mytail about three hundred feet from the end. There was an old octopuswho did not like me, and so he tied a knot in my tail when I wasn'tlooking. "

"What did you do?" asked Cap'n Bill. 

"Well, first I transformed the octopus into a jellyfish, and then Iwaited for the tide to turn. When my tail was untied, the painstopped. "

"I--I don't understand that, " said Trot, somewhat bewildered. 

"Thank you, my dear, " replied the Sea Serpent in a grateful voice. "People who are always understood are very common. You are sure torespect those you can't understand, for you feel that perhaps theyknow more than you do. "

"About how long do you happen to be?" inquired Cap'n Bill. 

"When last measured, I was seven thousand four hundred andeighty-two feet, five inches and a quarter. I'm not sure about thequarter, but the rest is probably correct. Adam measured me whenCain was a baby. "

"Where's the rest of you, then?" asked Trot. 

"Safe at home, I hope, and coiled up in my parlor, " answered the SeaSerpent. "When I go out, I usually take along only what is needed. It saves a lot of bother and I can always find my way back in thedarkest night by just coiling up the part that has been away. "

"Do you like to be a sea serpent?" inquired the child. 

"Yes, for I'm King of my Ocean, and there is no other sea serpent toimagine he is just as good as I am. I have two brothers who live inother oceans, but one is seven inches shorter than I am, and theother several feet shorter. It's curious to talk about feet when wehaven't any feet, isn't it?"

"Seems so, " acknowledged Trot. 

"I feel I have much to be proud of, " continued Anko in a dreamytone. "My great age, my undisputed sway, and my exceptional length. "

"I don't b'lieve I'd care to live so long, " remarked Cap'n Billthoughtfully. 

"So long as seven thousand four hundred and eighty-two feet, fiveinches and a quarter?" asked the Sea Serpent. 

"No, I mean so many years, " replied the sailor. 

"But what can one do if one happens to be a sea serpent?" Ankoinquired. "There is nothing in the sea that can hurt me, and Icannot commit suicide because we have no carbolic acid or firearmsor gas to turn on. So it isn't a matter of choice, and I'd about assoon be alive as dead. It does not seem quite so monotonous, youknow. But I guess I've stayed about long enough, so I'll go home todinner. Come and see me when you have time. "

"Thank you, " said Trot, and Merla added, "I'll take you over to hismajesty's palace when we go out and let you see how he lives. "

"Yes, do, " said Anko. And then he slowly slid out of the hole, whichimmediately closed behind him, leaving the coral wall as solid asbefore. 

"Oh!" exclaimed Trot. "King Anko forgot to tell us what his thirdpain was about. "

"So he did, " said Cap'n Bill. "We must ask him about that when wesee him. But I guess the ol' boy's mem'ry is failin', an' he can'tbe depended on for pertic'lars. "

CHAPTER 6

EXPLORING THE OCEAN

The queen now requested her guests to recline upon couches that theymight rest themselves from their long swim and talk more at theirease. So the girl and the sailor allowed themselves to floatdownward until they rested their bodies on two of the couchesnearest the throne, which were willingly vacated for them by themermaids who occupied them until then. 

The visitors soon found themselves answering a great many questionsabout their life on the earth, for although the queen had said shekept track of what was going on on the land, there were many detailsof human life in which all the mermaids seemed greatly interested. 

During the conversation several sea-maids came swimming into theroom bearing trays of sea apples and other fruit, which they firstoffered to the queen, and then passed the refreshments around to thecompany assembled. Trot and Cap'n Bill each took some, and thelittle girl found the fruits delicious to eat, as they had a richerflavor than any that grew upon land. Queen Aquareine was muchpleased when the old sailor asked for more, but Merla warned himdinner would soon be served and he must take care not to spoil hisappetite for that meal. "Our dinner is at noon, for we have to cookin the middle of the day when the sun is shining, " she said. 

"Cook!" cried Trot. "Why, you can't build a fire in the water, canyou?"

"We have no need of fires, " was the reply. "The glass roof of ourkitchen is so curved that it concentrates the heat of the sun'srays, which are then hot enough to cook anything we wish. "

"But how do you get along if the day is cloudy, and the sun doesn'tshine?" inquired the little girl. 

"Then we use the hot springs that bubble up in another part of thepalace, " Merla answered. "But the sun is the best to cook by. " So itwas no surprise to Trot when, about noon, dinner was announced andall the mermaids, headed by their queen and their guests, swam intoanother spacious room where a great, long table was laid. The disheswere of polished gold and dainty-cut glass, and the cloth andnapkins of fine gossamer. Around the table were ranged rows ofcouches for the mermaids to recline upon as they ate. Only thenobility and favorites of Queen Aquareine were invited to partake ofthis repast, for Clia explained that tables were set for the othermermaids in different parts of the numerous palaces. 

Trot wondered who would serve the meal, but her curiosity was soonsatisfied when several large lobsters came sliding into the roombackward, bearing in their claws trays loaded with food. Each ofthese lobsters had a golden band behind its neck to show it was theslave of the mermaids. 

These curious waiters were fussy creatures, and Trot found muchamusement in watching their odd motions. They were so spry andexcitable that at times they ran against one another and upset theplatters of food, after which they began to scold and argue as towhose fault it was, until one of the mermaids quietly rebuked themand asked them to be more quiet and more careful. 

The queen's guests had no cause to complain of the dinner provided. First the lobsters served bowls of turtle soup, which proved hot anddeliciously flavored. Then came salmon steaks fried in fish oil, with a fungus bread that tasted much like field mushrooms. Oysters, clams, soft-shell crabs and various preparations of seafoodsfollowed. The salad was a delicate leaf from some seaweed that Trotthought was much nicer than lettuce. Several courses were served, and the lobsters changed the plates with each course, chattering andscolding as they worked, and as Trot said, "doing everythingbackwards" in their nervous, fussy way. 

Many of the things offered them to eat were unknown to the visitors, and the child was suspicious of some of them, but Cap'n Bill askedno questions and ate everything offered him, so Trot decided tofollow his example. Certain it is they found the meal verysatisfying, and evidently there was no danger of their being hungrywhile they remained the guests of the mermaids. When the fruitscame, Trot thought that must be the last course of the big dinner, but following the fruits were ice creams frozen into the shape offlowers. 

"How funny, " said the child, "to be eating ice cream at the bottomof the sea. "

"Why does that surprise you?" inquired the Queen. 

"I can't see where you get the ice to freeze it, " Trot replied. 

"It is brought to us from the icebergs that float in the northernparts of the ocean, " explained Merla. 

"O' course, Trot. You orter thought o' that. I did, " said Cap'nBill. 

The little girl was glad there was no more to eat, for she wasashamed to feel she had eaten every morsel she could. Her onlyexcuse for being so greedy was that "ev'rything tasted justsplendid!" as she told the queen. 

"And now, " said Aquareine, "I will send you out for a swim withMerla, who will show you some of the curious sights of our sea. Youneed not go far this afternoon, and when you return, we will haveanother interesting talk together. " So the blonde mermaid led Trotand Cap'n Bill outside the palace walls, where they found themselvesin the pretty flower gardens. 

"I'd feel all right, mate, if I could have a smoke, " remarked theold sailor to the child, "but that's a thing as can't be did here inthe water. "

"Why not?" asked Merla, who overheard him. 

"A pipe has to be lighted, an' a match wouldn't burn, " he replied. 

"Try it, " suggested the mermaid. "I do not mind your smoking at all, if it will give you pleasure. "

"It's a bad habit I've got, an' I'm too old to break myself of it, "said Cap'n Bill. Then he felt in the big pocket of his coat and tookout a pipe and a bag of tobacco. After he had carefully filled hispipe, rejoicing in the fact that the tobacco was not at all wet, hetook out his matchbox and struck a light. The match burned brightly, and soon the sailor was puffing the smoke from his pipe in greatcontentment. The smoke ascended through the water in the shape ofbubbles, and Trot wondered what anyone who happened to be floatingupon the surface of the ocean would think to see smoke coming fromthe water. 

"Well, I find I can smoke, all right, " remarked Cap'n Bill, "but itbothers me to understand why. "

"It is because of the air space existing between the water andeverything you have about you, " explained Merla. "But now, if youwill come this way, I will take you to visit some of our neighbors. "They passed over the carpet of sea flowers, the gorgeous blossomsswaying on their stems as the motion of the people in the waterabove them disturbed their repose, and presently the three enteredthe dense shrubbery surrounding the palace. They had not proceededfar when they came to a clearing among the bushes, and here Merlapaused. 

Trot and Cap'n Bill paused, too, for floating in the clear water wasa group of beautiful shapes that the child thought looked like moldsof wine jelly. They were round as a dinner plate, soft andtransparent, but tinted in such lovely hues that no artist's brushhas ever been able to imitate them. Some were deep sapphire blue;others rose pink; still others a delicate topaz color. They seemedto have neither heads, eyes nor ears, yet it was easy to see theywere alive and able to float in any direction they wished to go. Inshape they resembled inverted flowerpots, with the upper edgesfluted, and from the centers floated what seemed to be bouquets offlowers. 

"How pretty!" exclaimed Trot, enraptured by the sight. 

"Yes, this is a rare variety of jellyfish, " replied Merla. "Thecreatures are not so delicate as they appear, and live for a longtime--unless they get too near the surface and the waves wash themashore. "

After watching the jellyfish a few moments, they followed Merlathrough the grove, and soon a low chant, like that of an Indiansong, fell upon their ears. It was a chorus of many small voices andgrew louder as they swam on. Presently a big rock rose suddenlybefore them from the bottom of the sea, rearing its steep side farup into the water overhead, and this rock was thickly covered withtiny shells that clung fast to its surface. The chorus they heardappeared to come from these shells, and Merla said to hercompanions, "These are the singing barnacles. They are really veryamusing, and if you listen carefully, you can hear what they say. "

So Trot and Cap'n Bill listened, and this is what the barnaclessang:

 "We went to topsy-turvy land to see a man-o'-war, And we were much attached to it, because we simply were; We found an anchor-ite within the mud upon the lea For the ghost of Jonah's whale he ran away and went to sea. Oh, it was awful! It was unlawful! We rallied round the flag in sev'ral millions; They couldn't shake us; They had to take us; So the halibut and cod they danced cotillions. "

"What does it all mean?" asked Trot. 

"I suppose they refer to the way barnacles have of clinging toships, " replied Merla, "but usually the songs mean nothing at all. The little barnacles haven't many brains, so we usually find theirsongs quite stupid. "

"Do they write some comic operas?" asked the child. 

"I think not, " answered the mermaid. 

"They seem to like the songs themselves, " remarked Cap'n Bill. 

"Oh yes, they sing all day long. But it never matters to themwhether their songs mean anything or not. Let us go in thisdirection and visit some other sea people. "

So they swam away from the barnacle-covered rock, and Trot heard thelast chorus as she slowly followed their conductor. The barnacleswere singing:

"Oh, very well, then, I hear the curfew, Please go away and come some other day;Goliath tusselsWith Samson's muscles, Yet the muscles never fight in Oyster Bay. "

"It's jus' nonsense!" said Trot scornfully. "Why don't they sing'Annie Laurie' or 'Home, Sweet Home' or else keep quiet?"

"Why, if they were quiet, " replied Merla, "they wouldn't be singingbarnacles. "

They now came to one of the avenues which led from the sea gardenout into the broad ocean, and here two swordfishes were standingguard. "Is all quiet?" Merla asked them. 

"Just as usual, your Highness, " replied one of the guards. "Mummercubble was sick this morning and grunted dreadfully, but he'sbetter now and has gone to sleep. King Anko has been stirring aroundsome, but is now taking his after-dinner nap. I think it will beperfectly safe for you to swim out for a while, if you wish. "

"Who's Mummercubble?" asked Trot as they passed out into deep water. 

"He's the sea pig, " replied Merla. "I am glad he's asleep, for nowwe won't meet him. "

"Don't you like him?" inquired Trot. 

"Oh, he complains so bitterly of everything that he bores us, " Merlaanswered. "Mummercubble is never contented or happy for a singleminute. "

"I've seen people like that, " said Cap'n Bill with a nod of hishead. "An' they has a way of upsettin' the happiest folks theymeet. "

"Look out!" suddenly cried the mermaid. "Look out for your fingers!Here are the snapping eels. "

"Who? Where?" asked Trot anxiously. 

And now they were in the midst of a cluster of wriggling, dartingeels which sported all around them in the water with marvelousactivity. "Yes, look out for your fingers and your noses!" said oneof the eels, making a dash for Cap'n Bill. At first the sailor wastempted to put out a hand and push the creature away, butremembering that his fingers would thus be exposed, he remainedquiet, and the eel snapped harmlessly just before his face and thendarted away. 

"Stop it!" said Merla. "Stop it this minute, or I'll report yourimpudence to Aquareine. "

"Oh, who cares?" shouted the Eels. "We're not afraid of themermaids. "

"She'll stiffen you up again, as she did once before, " said Merla, "if you try to hurt the earth people. "

"Are these earth people?" asked one. And then they all stopped theirplay and regarded Trot and Cap'n Bill with their little black eyes. 

"The old polliwog looks something like King Anko, " said one of them. 

"I'm not a polliwog!" answered Cap'n Bill angrily. "I'm a respec'blesailor man, an' I'll have you treat me decent or I'll know why. "

"Sailor!" said another. "That means to float on the water--not INit. What are you doing down here?"

"I'm jes' a-visitin', " answered Cap'n Bill. 

"He is the guest of our queen, " said Merla, "and so is this littlegirl. If you do not behave nicely to them, you will surely besorry. "

"Oh, that's all right, " replied one of the biggest eels, wrigglingaround in a circle and then snapping at a companion, which asquickly snapped out of his way. "We know how to be polite to companyas well as the mermaids. We won't hurt them. "

"Come on, fellows, let's go scare old Mummercubble, " cried another;and then in a flash they all darted away and left our friends tothemselves. Trot was greatly relieved. 

"I don't like eels, " she said. 

"They are more mischievous than harmful, " replied Merla, "but I donot care much for them myself. "

"No, " added Cap'n Bill, "they ain't respec'ful. "

CHAPTER 7

THE ARISTOCRATIC CODFISH

The three swam slowly along, quite enjoying the cool depths of thewater. Every little while they met with some strange creature--orone that seemed strange to the earth people--for although Trot andCap'n Bill had seen many kinds of fish, after they had been caughtand pulled from the water, that was very different from meeting themin their own element, "face to face, " as Trot expressed it. Now thatthe various fishes were swimming around free and unafraid in theirdeep-sea home, they were quite different from the gasping, excitedcreatures struggling at the end of a fishline or flopping from anet. 

Before long they came upon a group of large fishes lying lazily nearthe bottom of the sea. They were a dark color upon their backs andsilver underneath, but not especially pretty to look at. The fishesmade no effort to get out of Merla's way and remained motionlessexcept for the gentle motion of their fins and gills. 

"Here, " said the mermaid, pausing, "is the most aristocratic familyof fish in all the sea. "

"What are they?" asked the girl. 

"Codfish, " was the reply. "Their only fault is that they are toohaughty and foolishly proud of their pedigree. "

Overhearing this speech, one codfish said to another in a verydignified tone of voice, "What insolence!"

"Isn't it?" replied the other. "There ought to be a law to preventthese common mermaids from discussing their superiors. "

"My sakes!" said Trot, astonished. "How stuck up they are, aren'tthey?"

For a moment the group of fishes stared at her solemnly. Then one ofthe remarked in a disdainful manner, "Come, my dear, let us leavethese vulgar creatures. "

"I'm not as vulgar as you are!" exclaimed Trot, much offended bythis speech. "Where I come from, we only eat codfish when there'snothing else in the house to eat. "

"How absurd!" observed one of the creatures arrogantly. 

"Eat codfish indeed!" said another in a lofty manner. 

"Yes, and you're pretty salty, too, I can tell you. At home you'renothing but a pick-up!" said Trot. 

"Dear me!" exclaimed the first fish who had spoken. "Must we standthis insulting language--and from a person to whom we have neverbeen introduced?"

"I don't need no interduction, " replied the girl. "I've eaten you, and you always make me thirsty. "

Merla laughed merrily at this, and the codfish said, with muchdignity, "Come, fellow aristocrats, let us go. "

"Never mind, we're going ourselves, " announced Merla, and followedby her guests the pretty mermaid swam away. 

"I've heard tell of codfish aristocracy, " said Cap'n Bill, "but Inever knowed 'zac'ly what it meant afore. "

"They jus' made me mad with all their airs, " observed Trot, "so Igave 'em a piece of my mind. "

"You surely did, mate, " said the sailor, "but I ain't sure theyunderstand what they're like when they're salted an' hung up in thepantry. Folks gener'ly gets stuck-up 'cause they don't knowtheirselves like other folks knows 'em. "

"We are near Crabville now, " declared Merla. "Shall we visit thecrabs and see what they are doing?"

"Yes, let's, " replied Trot. "The crabs are lots of fun. I've oftencaught them among the rocks on the shore and laughed at the way theyact. Wasn't it funny at dinnertime to see the way they slid aroundwith the plates?"

"Those were not crabs, but lobsters and crawfish, " remarked themermaid. "They are very intelligent creatures, and by making themserve us we save ourselves much household work. Of course, they areawkward and provoke us sometimes, but no servants are perfect, it issaid, so we get along with ours as well as we can. "

"They're all right, " protested the child, "even if they did tipthings over once in a while. But it is easy to work in a sea palace, I'm sure, because there's no dusting or sweeping to be done. "

"Or scrubbin', " added Cap'n Bill. 

"The crabs, " said Merla, "are second cousins to the lobsters, although much smaller in size. There are many families or varietiesof crabs, and so many of them live in one place near here that wecall it Crabville. I think you will enjoy seeing these littlecreatures in their native haunts. "

They now approached a kelp bed, the straight, thin stems of the kelprunning far upward to the surface of the water. Here and there uponthe stalks were leaves, but Trot thought the growing kelp lookedmuch like sticks of macaroni, except they were a rich red-browncolor. It was beyond the kelp--which they had to push aside as theyswam through, so thickly did it grow--that they came to a higherlevel, a sort of plateau on the ocean's bottom. It was covered withscattered rocks of all sizes, which appeared to have broken off frombig shelving rocks they observed nearby. The place they enteredseemed like one of the rocky canyons you often see upon the earth. 

"Here live the fiddler crabs, " said Merla, "but we must have takenthem by surprise, it is so quiet. "

Even as she spoke, there was a stirring and scrambling among therocks, and soon scores of light-green crabs were gathered before thevisitors. The crabs bore fiddles of all sorts and shapes in theirclaws, and one big fellow carried a leader's baton. The latter crabclimbed upon a flat rock and in an excited voice called out, "Ready, now--ready, good fiddlers. We'll play Number 19, Hail to theMermaids. Ready! Take aim! Fire away!"

At this command every crab began scraping at his fiddle as hard ashe could, and the sounds were so shrill and unmusical that Trotwondered when they would begin to play a tune. But they never did;it was one regular mix-up of sounds from beginning to end. When thenoise finally stopped, the leader turned to his visitors and, wavinghis baton toward them, asked, "Well, what did you think of that?"

"Not much, " said Trot honestly. "What's it all about?"

"I composed it myself!" said the Fiddler Crab. "But it's highlyclassical, I admit. All really great music is an acquired taste. "

"I don't like it, " remarked Cap'n Bill. "It might do all right tostir up a racket New Year's Eve, but to call that screechin'music--"

Just then the crabs started fiddling again, harder than ever, and asit promised to be a long performance, they left the little creaturesscraping away at their fiddles as if for dear life and swam alongthe rocky canyon until, on turning a corner, they came upon a newand different scene. 

There were crabs here, too, many of them, and they were performingthe queerest antics imaginable. Some were building themselves into apyramid, each standing on edge, with the biggest and strongest onesat the bottom. When the crabs were five or six rows high, they wouldall tumble over, still clinging to one another and, having reachedthe ground, they would separate and commence to build the pyramidover again. Others were chasing one another around in a circle, always moving backward or sidewise, and trying to play "leapfrog" asthey went. Still others were swinging on slight branches of seaweedor turning cartwheels or indulging in similar antics. 

Merla and the earth people watched the busy little creatures forsome time before they were themselves observed, but finally Trotgave a laugh when one crab fell on its back and began franticallywaving its legs to get right-side-up again. At the sound of herlaughter they all stopped their play and came toward the visitors ina flock, looking up at them with their bright eyes in a most comicalway. 

"Welcome home!" cried one as he turned a back somersault and knockedanother crab over. 

"What's the difference between a mermaid and a tadpole?" askedanother in a loud voice, and without a pause continued, "Why, onedrops its tail and the other holds onto it. Ha, ha! Ho, ho! Hee, hee!"

"These, " said Merla, "are the clown crabs. They are very sillythings, as you may already have discovered, but for a short timethey are rather amusing. One tires of them very soon. "

"They're funny, " said Trot, laughing again. "It's almost as good asa circus. I don't think they would make me tired, but then I'm not amermaid. "

The clown crabs had now formed a row in front of them. "Mr. Johnsing, " asked one, "why is a mermaid like an automobile?"

"I don't know, Tommy Blimken, " answered a big crab in the middle ofthe row. "WHY do you think a mermaid is like an automobile?"

"Because they both get tired, " said Tommy Blimken. Then all thecrabs laughed, and Tommy seemed to laugh louder than the rest. 

"How do the crabs in the sea know anything 'bout automobiles?" askedTrot. 

"Why, Tommy Blimken and Harry Hustle were both captured once byhumans and put in an aquarium, " answered the mermaid. "But one daythey climbed out and escaped, finally making their way back to thesea and home again. So they are quite traveled, you see, and greatfavorites among the crabs. While they were on land they saw a greatmany curious things, and so I suppose they saw automobiles. "

"We did, we did!" cried Harry Hustle, an awkward crab with one bigclaw and one little one. "And we saw earth people with legs, awfullyfunny they were; and animals called horses, with legs; and othercreatures with legs; and the people cover themselves with thequeerest things--they even wear feathers and flowers on their heads, and--"

"Oh, we know all about that, " said Trot. "We live on the earthourselves. "

"Well, you're lucky to get off from it and into the good water, "said the Crab. "I nearly died on the earth; it was so stupid, dryand airy. But the circus was great. They held the performance rightin front of the aquarium where we lived, and Tommy and I learned allthe tricks of the tumblers. Hi! Come on, fellows, and show the earthpeople what you can do!"

At this the crabs began performing their antics again, but they didthe same things over and over, so Cap'n Bill and Trot soon tired, asMerla said they would, and decided they had seen enough of the crabcircus. So they proceeded to swim farther up the rocky canyon, andnear its upper end they came to a lot of conch shells lying upon thesandy bottom. A funny-looking crab was sticking his head out fromeach of these shells. 

"These are the hermit crabs, " said one of the mermaids. "They stealthese shells and live in them so no enemies can attack them. "

"Don't they get lonesome?" asked Trot. 

"Perhaps so, my dear. But they do not seem to mind being lonesome. They are great cowards, and think if they can but protect theirlives there is nothing else to care for. Unlike the jolly crabs wehave just left, the hermits are cross and unsociable. "

"Oh, keep quiet and go away!" said one of the hermit crabs in agrumpy voice. "No one wants mermaids around here. " Then every crabwithdrew its head into its shell, and our friends saw them no more. 

"They're not very polite, " observed Trot, following the mermaid asMerla swam upward into the middle water. 

"I know now why cross people are called 'crabbed, '" said Cap'n Bill. "They've got dispositions jes' like these 'ere hermit crabs. "

Presently they came upon a small flock of mackerel, and noticed thatthe fishes seemed much excited. When they saw the mermaid, theycried out, "Oh, Merla! What do you think? Our Flippity has just goneto glory!"

"When?" asked the mermaid. 

"Just now, " one replied. "We were lying in the water, talkingquietly together when a spinning, shining thing came along and ourdear Flippity ate it. Then he went shooting up to the top of thewater and gave a flop and--went to glory! Isn't it splendid, Merla?"

"Poor Flippity!" sighed the mermaid. "I'm sorry, for he was theprettiest and nicest mackerel in your whole flock. "

"What does it mean?" asked Trot. "How did Flippity go to glory?"

"Why, he was caught by a hook and pulled out of the water into someboat, " Merla explained. "But these poor stupid creatures do notunderstand that, and when one of them is jerked out of the water anddisappears, they have the idea he has gone to glory, which means tothem some unknown but beautiful sea. "

"I've often wondered, " said Trot, "why fishes are foolish enough tobite on hooks. "

"They must know enough to know they're hooks, " added Cap'n Billmusingly. 

"Oh, they do, " replied Merla. "I've seen fishes gather around a hookand look at it carefully for a long time. They all know it is a hookand that if they bite the bait upon it they will be pulled out ofthe water. But they are curious to know what will happen to themafterward, and think it means happiness instead of death. So finallyone takes the hook and disappears, and the others never know whatbecomes of him. "

"Why don't you tell 'em the truth?" asked Trot. 

"Oh, we do. The mermaids have warned them many times, but it does nogood at all. The fish are stupid creatures. "

"But I wish I was Flippity, " said one of the mackerel, staring atTrot with his big, round eyes. "He went to glory before I could eatthe hook myself. "

"You're lucky, " answered the child. "Flippity will be fried in a panfor someone's dinner. You wouldn't like that, would you?"

"Flippity has gone to glory!" said another, and then they swam awayin haste to tell the news to all they met. 

"I never heard of anything so foolish, " remarked Trot as she swamslowly on through the clear, blue water. 

"Yes, it is very foolish and very sad, " answered Merla. "But if thefish were wise, men could not catch them for food, and many poorpeople on your earth make their living by fishing. "

"It seems wicked to catch such pretty things, " said the child. 

"I do not think so, " Merla replied laughingly, "for they were bornto become food for someone, and men are not the only ones that eatfishes. Many creatures of the sea feed upon them. They even eat oneanother at times. And if none was ever destroyed, they would soonbecome so numerous that they would clog the waters of the ocean andleave no room for the rest of us. So after all, perhaps it is justas well they are thoughtless and foolish. "

Presently they came to some round balls that looked much likeballoons in shape and were gaily colored. They floated quietly inthe water, and Trot inquired what they were. 

"Balloonfish, " answered Merla. "They are helpless creatures, buthave little spikes all over them so their enemies dare not bite themfor fear of getting pricked. "

Trot found the balloonfish quite interesting. They had little dotsof eyes and dots for mouths, but she could see no noses, and theirfins and tails were very small. 

"They catch these fish in the South Sea Islands and make lanterns of'em, " said Cap'n Bill. "They first skin 'em and sew the skin upagain to let it dry, and then they put candles inside, and the lightshines through the dried skin. "

Many other curious sights they saw in the ocean that afternoon, andboth Cap'n Bill and Trot thoroughly enjoyed their glimpse of sealife. At last Merla said it was time to return to the palace, fromwhich she claimed they had not at any time been very far distant. "We must prepare for dinner, as it will soon begin to grow dark inthe water, " continued their conductor. So they swam leisurely backto the groves that surrounded the palaces, and as they entered thegardens the sun sank, and deep shadows began to form in the oceandepths. 

CHAPTER 8

A BANQUET UNDER WATER

The palaces of the mermaids were all aglow with lights as theyapproached them, and Trot was amazed at the sight. 

"Where do the lamps come from?" she asked their guide wonderingly. 

"They are not lamps, my dear, " replied Merla, much amused at thissuggestion. "We use electric lights in our palaces and have done sofor thousands of years--long before the earth people knew ofelectric lights. "

"But where do you get 'em?" inquired Cap'n Bill, who was as muchastonished as the girl. 

"From a transparent jellyfish which naturally emits a strong andbeautiful electric light, " was the answer. "We have many hundreds ofthem in our palaces, as you will presently see. "

Their way was now lighted by small, phosphorescent creaturesscattered about the sea gardens and which Merla informed them werehyalaea, or sea glowworms. But their light was dim when compared tothat of the electric jellyfish, which they found placed in clustersupon the ceilings of all the rooms of the palaces, rendering themlight as day. Trot watched these curious creatures with delight, fordelicately colored lights ran around their bodies in every directionin a continuous stream, shedding splendid rays throughout the vasthalls. 

A group of mermaids met the visitors in the hall of the main palaceand told Merla the queen had instructed them to show the guests totheir rooms as soon as they arrived. So Trot followed two of themthrough several passages, after which they swam upward and entered acircular opening. There were no stairs here, because there was noneed of them, and the little girl soon found herself in an upperroom that was very beautiful indeed. 

All the walls were covered with iridescent shells, polished tillthey resembled mother-of-pearl, and upon the glass ceiling wereclusters of the brilliant electric jellyfish, rendering the roombright and cheerful with their radiance. In one corner stood a couchof white coral, with gossamer draperies hanging around it from thefour high posts. Upon examining it, the child found the couch wascovered with soft, amber sponges, which rendered it very comfortableto lie upon. In a wardrobe she found several beautiful gossamergowns richly embroidered in colored seaweeds, and these Mayre wastold she might wear while she remained the guest of the mermaids. She also found a toilet table with brushes, combs and otherconveniences, all of which were made of polished tortoise-shell. 

Really, the room was more dainty and comfortable than one mightsuppose possible in a palace far beneath the surface of the sea, andTrot was greatly delighted with her new quarters. The mermaidattendants assisted the child to dress herself in one of theprettiest robes, which she found to be quite dry and fitted hercomfortably. Then the sea-maids brushed and dressed her hair, andtied it with ribbons of cherry-red seaweed. Finally they placedaround her neck a string of pearls that would have been pricelessupon the earth, and now the little girl announced she was ready forsupper and had a good appetite. 

Cap'n Bill had been given a similar room near Trot, but the oldsailor refused to change his clothes for any others offered him, forwhich reason he was ready for supper long before his comrade. "Whatbothers me, mate, " he said to the little girl as the y swam towardthe great banquet hall where Queen Aquareine awaited them, "is whyain't we crushed by the pressin' of the water agin us, bein' aswe're down here in the deep sea. "

"How's that, Cap'n? Why should we be crushed?" she asked. 

"Why, ev'r'body knows that the deeper you go in the sea, the morethe water presses agin you, " he explained. "Even the divers in theirsteel jackets can't stand it very deep down. An' here we be, milesfrom the top o' the water, I s'pect, an' we don't feel crowded abit. "

"I know why, " answered the child wisely. "The water don't touch us, you see. If it did, it might crush us, but it don't. It's alwaysheld a little way off from our bodies by the magic of the fairymermaids. "

"True enough, Trot, " declared the sailor man. "What an idjut I wasnot to think o' that myself!"

In the royal banquet hall were assembled many of the mermaids, headed by the lovely queen, and as soon as their earth guestsarrived, Aquareine ordered the meal to be served. The lobsters againwaited upon the table, wearing little white caps and aprons whichmade them look very funny; but Trot was so hungry after herafternoon's excursion that she did not pay as much attention to thelobsters as she did to her supper, which was very delicious andconsisted of many courses. A lobster spilled some soup on Cap'nBill's bald head and made him yell for a minute, because it was hotand he had not expected it, but the queen apologized very sweetlyfor the awkwardness of her servants, and the sailor soon forgot allabout the incident in his enjoyment of the meal. 

After the feast ended, they all went to the big reception room, where some of the mermaids played upon harps while others sangpretty songs. They danced together, too--a graceful, swimming dance, so queer to the little girl that it interested and amused hergreatly. Cap'n Bill seemed a bit bashful among so many beautifulmermaids, yet he was pleased when the queen offered him a placebeside her throne, where he could see and hear all the delightfulentertainment provided for the royal guests. He did not talk much, being a man of few words except when alone with Trot, but hislight-blue eyes were big and round with wonder at the sights he saw. 

Trot and the sailor man went to bed early and slept soundly upontheir sponge-covered couches. The little girl never wakened untillong after the sun was shining down through the glass roof of herroom, and when she opened her eyes she was startled to find a numberof big, small and middle-sized fishes staring at her through theglass. "That's one bad thing 'bout this mermaid palace, " she said toherself. "It's too public. Ever'thing in the sea can look at youthrough the glass as much as it likes. I wouldn't mind fisheslooking at me if they hadn't such big eyes, an'--goodness me!There's a monster that's all head! And there goes a fish with a sailon its back, an' here's old Mummercubble, I'm sure, for he's got ahead just like a pig. "

She might have watched the fishes on the roof for hours, had she notremembered it was late and breakfast must be ready. So she dressedand made her toilet, and swam down into the palace to find Cap'nBill and the mermaids politely waiting for her to join them. The seamaidens were as fresh and lovely as ever, while each and all provedsweet tempered and merry, even at the breakfast table--and that iswhere people are cross, if they ever are. During the meal the queensaid, "I shall take you this morning to the most interesting part ofthe ocean, where the largest and most remarkable sea creatures live. And we must visit King Anko, too, for the sea serpent would feelhurt and slighted if I did not bring my guests to call upon him. "

"That will be nice, " said Trot eagerly. 

But Cap'n Bill asked, "Is there any danger, ma'am?"

"I think not, " replied Queen Aquareine. "I cannot say that you willbe exposed to any danger at all, so long as I'm with you. But we aregoing into the neighborhood of such fierce and even terrible beingswhich would attack you at once did they suspect you to be earthpeople. So in order to guard your safety, I intend to draw the MagicCircle around both of you before we start. "

"What is the Magic Circle?" asked Trot. 

"A fairy charm that prevents any enemy from touching you. No monsterof the sea, however powerful, will be able to reach your body whileyou are protected by the Magic Circle, " declared the Queen. 

"Oh, then I'll not be a bit afraid, " returned the child with perfectconfidence. 

"Am I to have the Magic Circle drawn around me, too?" asked Cap'nBill. 

"Of course, " answered Aquareine. "You will need no other protectionthan that, yet both Princess Clia and I will both be with you. Fortoday I shall leave Merla to rule our palaces in my place until wereturn. "

No sooner was breakfast finished than Trot was anxious to start. Thegirl was also curious to discover what the powerful Magic Circlemight prove to be, but she was a little disappointed in theceremony. The queen merely grasped her fairy wand in her right handand swam around the child in a circle, from left to right. Then shetook her wand in her left hand and swam around Trot in anothercircle, from right to left. "Now, my dear, " said she, "you are safefrom any creature we are liable to meet. "

She performed the same ceremony for Cap'n Bill, who was doubtfulabout the Magic Circle because he felt the same after it as he hadbefore. But he said nothing of his unbelief, and soon they left thepalace and started upon their journey. 

CHAPTER 9

THE BASHFUL OCTOPUS

It was a lovely day, and the sea was like azure under the rays ofthe sun. 

Over the flower beds and through the gardens they swam, emerginginto the open sea in a direction opposite that taken by the visitorsthe day before. The party consisted of but four: Queen Aquareine, Princess Clia, Trot and Cap'n Bill. 

"People who live upon the land know only those sea creatures whichthey are able to catch in nets or upon hooks or those which becomedisabled and are washed ashore, " remarked the Queen as they swamswiftly through the clear water. "And those who sail in ships seeonly the creatures who chance to come to the surface. But in thedeep ocean caverns are queer beings that no mortal has ever heard ofor beheld, and some of these we are to visit. We shall also see somesea shrubs and flowering weeds which are sure to delight you withtheir beauty. "

The sights really began before they had gone very far from thepalace, and a school of butterfly fish, having gorgeous colorsspattered over their broad wings, was first to delight thestrangers. They swam just as butterflies fly, with a darting, jerkymotion, and called a merry "Good morning!" to the mermaids as theypassed. 

"These butterfly fish are remarkably active, " said the Princess, "and their quick motions protect them from their enemies. We like tomeet them; they are always so gay and good-natured. "

"Why, so am I!" cried a sharp voice just beside them, and they allpaused to discover what creature had spoken to them. 

"Take care, " said Clia in a low voice. "It's an octopus. "

Trot looked eagerly around. A long, brown arm stretched across theirway in front and another just behind them, but that did not worryher. The octopus himself came slowly sliding up to them and provedto be well worth looking at. He wore a red coat with brass buttons, and a silk hat was tipped over one ear. His eyes were somewhat dulland watery, and he had a moustache of long, hair-like "feelers" thatcurled stiffly at the ends. When he tried to smile at them, heshowed two rows of sharp, white teeth. In spite of his red coat andyellow-embroidered vest, his standing collar and carefully tiedcravat, the legs of the octopus were bare, and Trot noticed he usedsome of his legs for arms, as in one of them was held a slender caneand in another a handkerchief. 

"Well, well!" said the Octopus. "Are you all dumb? Or don't you knowenough to be civil when you meet a neighbor?"

"We know how to be civil to our friends, " replied Trot, who did notlike the way he spoke. 

"Well, are we not friends, then?" asked the Octopus in an airy toneof voice. 

"I think not, " said the little girl. "Octopuses are horridcreatures. "

"OctoPI, if you please; octoPI, " said the monster with a laugh. 

"I don't see any pie that pleases me, " replied Trot, beginning toget angry. 

"OctoPUS means one of us; two or more are called octoPI, " remarkedthe creature, as if correcting her speech. 

"I suppose a lot of you would be a whole bakery!" she saidscornfully. 

"Our name is Latin. It was given to us by learned scientists yearsago, " said the Octopus. 

"That's true enough, " agreed Cap'n Bill. "The learned scientistsnamed ev'ry blamed thing they come across, an' gener'ly they pickedout names as nobody could understand or pernounce. "

"That isn't our fault, sir, " said the Octopus. "Indeed, it's prettyhard for us to go through life with such terrible names. Think ofthe poor little seahorse. He used to be a merry and cheerful fellow, but since they named him 'hippocampus' he hasn't smiled once. "

"Let's go, " said Trot. "I don't like to 'sociate with octopuses. "

"OctoPI, " said the creature, again correcting her. 

"You're jus' as horrid whether you're puses or pies, " she declared. 

"Horrid!" cried the monster in a shocked tone of voice. 

"Not only horrid, but horrible!" persisted the girl. 

"May I ask in what way?" he inquired, and it was easy to see he wasoffended. 

"Why, ev'rybody knows that octopuses are jus' wicked an' deceitful, "she said. "Up on the earth, where I live, we call the Stannerd OilCompany an octopus, an' the Coal Trust an octopus, an'--"

"Stop, stop!" cried the monster in a pleading voice. "Do you mean totell me that the earth people whom I have always respected compareme to the Stannerd Oil Company?"

"Yes, " said Trot positively. 

"Oh, what a disgrace! What a cruel, direful, dreadful disgrace!"moaned the Octopus, drooping his head in shame, and Trot could seegreat tears falling down his cheeks. 

"This comes of having a bad name, " said the Queen gently, for shewas moved by the monster's grief. 

"It is unjust! It is cruel and unjust!" sobbed the creaturemournfully. "Just because we have several long arms and takewhatever we can reach, they accuse us of being like--like--oh, Icannot say it! It is too shameful, too humiliating. "

"Come, let's go, " said Trot again. So they left the poor octopusweeping and wiping his watery eyes with his handkerchief and swam ontheir way. "I'm not a bit sorry for him, " remarked the child, "forhis legs remind me of serpents. "

"So they do me, " agreed Cap'n Bill. 

"But the octopi are not very bad, " said the Princess, "and we getalong with them much better than we do with their cousins, the seadevils. "

"Oh. Are the sea devils their cousins?" asked Trot. 

"Yes, and they are the only creatures of the ocean which we greatlyfear, " replied Aquareine. "I hope we shall meet none today, for weare going near to the dismal caverns where they live. "

"What are the sea devils like, ma'am?" inquired Cap'n Bill a littleuneasily. 

"Something like the octopus you just saw, only much larger and of abright scarlet color, striped with black, " answered the Queen. "Theyare very fierce and terrible creatures and nearly as much dreaded bythe inhabitants of the ocean as is Zog, and nearly as powerful asKing Anko himself. "

"Zog! Who is Zog?" questioned the girl. "I haven't heard of himbefore now. "

"We do not like to mention Zog's name, " responded the Queen in a lowvoice. "He is the wicked genius of the sea, and a magician of greatpower. "

"What's he like?" asked Cap'n Bill. 

"He is a dreadful creature, part fish, part man, part beast and partserpent. Centuries ago they cast him off the earth into the sea, where he has caused much trouble. Once he waged a terrible waragainst King Anko, but the sea serpent finally conquered Zog anddrove the magician into his castle, where he now stays shut up. Forif ever Anko catches the monster outside of his enchanted castle, hewill kill him, and Zog knows that very well. "

"Seems like you have your troubles down here just as we do on topthe ground, " remarked Cap'n Bill. 

"But I'm glad old Zog is shut up in his castle, " added Trot. "Is ita sea castle like your own palace?"

"I cannot say, my dear, for the enchantment makes it invisible toall eyes but those of its inhabitants, " replied Aquareine. "No onesees Zog now, and we scarcely ever hear of him, but all the seapeople know he is here someplace and fear his power. Even in the olddays, before Anko conquered him, Zog was the enemy of the mermaids, as he was of all the good and respectable seafolk. But do not worryabout the magician, I beg of you, for he has not dared to do an evildeed in many, many years. "

"Oh, I'm not afraid, " asserted Trot. 

"I'm glad of that, " said the Queen. "Keep together, friends, and becareful not to separate, for here comes an army of sawfishes. "

Even as Aquareine spoke, they saw a swirl and commotion in the waterahead of them, while a sound like a muffled roar fell upon theirears. Then swiftly there dashed upon them a group of great fisheswith long saws sticking out in front of their noses, armed withsharp, hooked teeth, all set in a row. They were larger than theswordfishes and seemed more fierce and bold. But the mermaids andTrot and Cap'n Bill quietly awaited their attack, and instead oftearing them with their saws as they expected to do, the fishes wereunable to touch them at all. They tried every possible way to get attheir proposed victims, but the Magic Circle was all powerful andturned aside the ugly saws; so our friends were not disturbed atall. Seeing this, the sawfishes soon abandoned the attempt and withgrowls and roars of disappointment swam away and were quickly out ofsight. 

Trot had been a wee bit frightened during the attack, but now shelaughed gleefully and told the queen that it seemed very nice to beprotected by fairy powers. The water grew a darker blue as theydescended into its depths, farther and farther away from the rays ofthe sun. Trot was surprised to find she could see so plainly throughthe high wall of water above her, but the sun was able to shoot itsbeams straight down through the transparent sea, and they seemed topenetrate to every nook and crevice of the rocky bottom. 

In this deeper part of the ocean some of the fishes had aphosphorescent light of their own, and these could be seen far aheadas if they were lanterns. The explorers met a school of argonautsgoing up to the surface for a sail, and the child watched thesestrange creatures with much curiosity. The argonauts live in shellsin which they are able to hide in case of danger from prowling wolffishes, but otherwise they crawl out and carry their shells likehumps upon their backs. Then they spread their skinny sails abovethem and sail away under water till they come to the surface, wherethey float and let the currents of air carry them along the same asthe currents of water had done before. Trot thought the argonautscomical little creatures, with their big eyes and sharp noses, andto her they looked like a fleet of tiny ships. 

It is said that men got their first idea of boats and of how to sailthem from watching these little argonauts. 

CHAPTER 10

THE UNDISCOVERED ISLAND

In following the fleet of argonauts, the four explorers had risenhigher in the water and soon found they had wandered to an openspace that seemed to Trot like the flat top of a high hill. Thesands were covered with a growth of weeds so gorgeously colored thatone who had never peered beneath the surface of the sea wouldscarcely believe they were not the product of a dye shop. Everyknown hue seemed represented in the delicate, fern-like leaves thatswayed softly to and fro as the current moved them. They were notset close together, these branches of magnificent hues, but werescattered sparsely over the sandy bottom of the sea so that whilefrom a distance they seemed thick, a nearer view found them spreadout with ample spaces of sand between them. 

In these sandy spaces lay the real attractiveness of the place, forhere were many of those wonders of the deep that have surprised andinterested people in all ages. 

First were the starfishes--hundreds of them, it seemed--lyingsleepily on the bottom, with their five or six points extendedoutward. They were of various colors, some rich and brilliant, others of dark brown hues. A few had wound their arms around theweeds or were creeping slowly from one place to another, in thelatter case turning their points downward and using them as legs. But most of them were lying motionless, and as Trot looked down uponthem she thought they resembled stars in the sky on a bright night, except that the blue of the heavens was here replaced by the whitesand, and the twinkling diamond stars by the colored starfish. 

"We are near an island, " said the Queen, "and that is why so manystarfishes are here, as they love to keep close to shore. Also thelittle seahorses love these weeds, and to me they are moreinteresting than the starfish. "

Trot now noticed the seahorses for the first time. They were quitesmall--merely two or three inches high--but had funny little headsthat were shaped much like the head of a horse, and bright, intelligent eyes. They had no legs, though, for their bodies endedin tails which they twined around the stems of seaweeds to supportthemselves and keep the currents from carrying them away. 

Trot bent down close to examine one of the queer little creaturesand exclaimed, "Why, the seahorses haven't any fins or anything toswim with. "

"Oh yes we have, " replied the Sea Horse in a tiny but distinctvoice. "These things on the side of my head are fins. "

"I thought they were ears, " said the girl. 

"So they are. Fins and ears at the same time, " answered the littlesea animal. "Also, there are small fins on our backs. Of course, wecan't swim as the mermaids do, or even as swiftly as fishes; but wemanage to get around, thank you. "

"Don't the fishes catch and eat you?" inquired Trot curiously. 

"Sometimes, " admitted the Sea Horse, "and there are many otherliving things that have a way of destroying us. But here I am, asyou see, over six weeks old, and during that time I have escapedevery danger. That isn't so bad, is it?"

"Phoo!" said a Starfish lying near. "I'm over three months old. You're a mere baby, Sea Horse. "

"I'm not!" cried the Sea Horse excitedly. "I'm full-grown and maylive to be as old as you are!"

"Not if I keep on living, " said the Starfish calmly, and Trot knewhe was correct in his statement. 

The little girl now noticed several sea spiders creeping around anddrew back because she did not think them very pretty. They wereshaped not unlike the starfishes, but had slender legs and big headswith wicked-looking eyes sticking out of them. 

"Oh, I don't like those things!" said Trot, coming closer to hercompanions. 

"You don't, eh?" said a big Sea Spider in a cross voice. "Why do youcome around here, then, scaring away my dinner when you're notwanted?"

"It isn't YOUR ocean, " replied Trot. 

"No, and it isn't yours, " snapped the Spider. "But as it's bigenough for us both, I'd like you to go away. "

"So we will, " said Aquareine gently, and at once she moved towardthe surface of the water. Trot and Cap'n Bill followed, with Clia, and the child asked, "What island are we near?"

"It has no name, " answered the Queen, "for it is not inhabited byman, nor has it ever yet been discovered by them. Perhaps you willbe the first humans to see this island. But it is a barren, rockyplace, and only fit for seals and turtles. "

"Are any of them there now?" Cap'n Bill inquired. 

"I think so. We will see. "

Trot was astonished to find how near they were to the "top" of theocean, for they had not ascended through the water very long whensuddenly her head popped into the air, and she gave a gasp ofsurprise to find herself looking at the clear sky for the first timesince she had started upon this adventure by rowing into Giant'sCave. 

She floated comfortably in the water, with her head and face justout of it, and began to look around her. Cap'n Bill was at her side, and so were the two mermaids. The day was fair, and the surface ofthe sea, which stretched far away as the eye could reach, rippledunder a gentle breeze. They had risen almost at the edge of a small, rocky islet, high in the middle, but gradually slanting down to thewater. No trees or bushes or grass grew anywhere about; only rocks, gray and bleak, were to be seen. 

Trot scarcely noticed this at first, however, for the island seemedcovered with groups of forms, some still and some moving, which theold sailor promptly recognized as seals. Many were lying asleep orsunning themselves; others crept awkwardly around, using theirstrong fins as legs or "paddles" and caring little if they disturbedthe slumbers of the others. Once in a while one of those crowded outof place would give a loud and angry bark, which awakened others andset them to barking likewise. 

Baby seals were there in great numbers, and were more active andplayful than their elders. It was really wonderful how they couldscramble around on the land, and Trot laughed more than once attheir antics. 

At the edge of the water lay many huge turtles, some as big aroundas a wagon wheel and others much smaller in size. 

"The big ones are very old, " said the Queen, seeing Trot's eyesfixed on the turtles. 

"How old?" asked the child. 

"Hundreds of years, I think. They live to a great age, for nothingcan harm them when they withdraw their legs and heads into theirthick shells. We use some of the turtles for food, but prefer theyounger ones. Men also fish for turtles and eat them, but of courseno men ever come to this out-of-the-way place in the ocean, so theinhabitants of this little island know they are perfectly safe. "

In the center of the island rose high cliffs on top of which were tobe seen great flocks of seagulls, some whirling in the air, whileothers were perched upon the points of rock. 

"What do the birds find to eat?" asked Cap'n Bill. 

"They often feed upon seals which die of accident or old age, andthey are expert fishermen, " explained Queen Aquareine. "Curiouslyenough, the seals also feed upon these birds, which they are oftenable to catch in their strong jaws when the gulls venture too near. And then, the seals frequently rob the nests of eggs, of which theyare very fond. "

"I'd like a few gulls' eggs now, " remarked a big seal that lay nearthem upon the shore. Trot had thought him sound asleep, but now heopened his eyes to blink lazily at the group in the water. 

"Good morning, " said the Queen. "Aren't you Chief Muffruff?"

"I am, " answered the old seal. "And you are Aquareine, the mermaidqueen. You see, I remember you, although you haven't been here foryears. And isn't that Princess Clia? To be sure! But the othermermaids are strangers to me, especially the bald-headed one. "

"I'm not a mermaid, " asserted Cap'n Bill. "I'm a sailor jes'a-visitin' the mermaids. "

"Our friends are earth dwellers, " explained the Queen. 

"That's odd, " said Muffruff. "I can't remember that any earthdwellers ever came this way before. I never travel far, you see, forI'm chief of this disorderly family of seals that live on thisisland--on it and off it, that is. "

"You're a poor chief, " said a big turtle lying beside the seal. "Ifyour people are disorderly, it is your own fault. "

Muffruff gave a chuckling laugh. Then, with a movement quick aslightning, he pushed his head under the shell of the turtle and gaveit a sudden jerk. The huge turtle was tossed up on edge and thenturned flat upon its back, where its short legs struggled vainly toright its overturned body. 

"There!" snorted the Seal contemptuously. "Perhaps you'll dareinsult me again in the presence of visitors, you old mud-wallower!"

Seeing the plight of the turtle, several young seals came laughinglywabbling to the spot, and as they approached the helpless creaturedrew in his legs and head and closed his two shells tightlytogether. The seals bumped against the turtle and gave it a pushthat sent it sliding down the beach like a toboggan, and a minutelater it splashed into the water and sank out of sight. But that wasjust what the creature wanted. On shore the upset turtle was quitehelpless; but the mischievous seals saved him. For as soon as hetouched the water, he was able to turn and right himself, which hepromptly did. Then he raised his head above the water and asked:

"Is it peace or war, Muffruff?"

"Whichever you like, " answered the Seal indifferently. 

Perhaps the turtle was angry, for it ran on shore with remarkableswiftness, uttering a shrill cry as it advanced. At once all theother turtles awoke to life and with upraised heads joined theircomrade in the rush for the seals. Most of Chief Muffruff's bandscrambled hastily down the rocks and plunged into the water of thesea without waiting for the turtles to reach them; but the chiefhimself was slow in escaping. It may be that he was ashamed to runwhile the mermaids were watching, but if this was so he made a greatmistake. The turtles snapped at his fins and tail and began bitinground chunks out of them so that Chief Muffruff screamed with painand anger and floundered into the water as fast as he could go. Thevengeful turtles were certainly the victors, and now held undisputedpossession of the island. 

Trot laughed joyously at the incident, not feeling a bit sorry forthe old seal who had foolishly begun the battle. Even the gentlequeen smiled as she said:

"These quarrels between the turtles and the seals are very frequent, but they are soon ended. An hour from now they will all be lyingasleep together just as we found them; but we will not wait forthat. Let us go. "

She sank slowly beneath the water again, and the others followedafter her. 

CHAPTER 11

ZOG THE TERRIBLE AND HIS SEA DEVILS

"The sun must be going under a cloud, " said Trot, looking ahead. 

They had descended far into the ocean depths again--further, thegirl thought, than they had ever been before. 

"No, " the Queen answered after a glance ahead of them, "that is acuttlefish, and he is dyeing the sea around him with ink so that hecan hide from us. Let us turn a little to the left, for we could seenothing at all in that inky water. "

Following her advice, they made a broad curve to the left, and atonce the water began to darken in that direction. 

"Why, there's another of 'em, " said Cap'n Bill as the little partycame to a sudden halt. 

"So there is, " returned the Queen, and Trot thought there was alittle quiver of anxiety in her voice. "We must go far to the rightto escape the ink. "

So they again started, this time almost at a right angle to theirformer course, the little girl inquired:

"How can the cuttlefish color the water so very black?"

"They carry big sacks in front of them where they conceal the ink, "Princess Clia answered. "Whenever they choose, the cuttlefish areable to press out this ink, and it colors the water for a greatspace around them. "

The direction in which they were now swimming was taking them farout of their way. Aquareine did not wish to travel very far to theright, so when she thought they had gone far enough to escape theinky water, she turned to lead her party toward the left--thedirection in which she DID wish to go. At once another cloud of inkstained the water and drove them to the right again. 

"Is anything wrong, ma'am?" asked Cap'n Bill, seeing a frown gatherupon the queen's lovely face. 

"I hope not, " she said. "But I must warn you that these cuttlefishare the servants of the terrible sea devils, and from the way theyare acting they seem determined to drive us toward the Devil Caves, which I wished to avoid. "

This admission on the part of their powerful protector, the fairymermaid, sent a chill to the hearts of the earth people. Neitherspoke for a time, but finally Cap'n Bill asked in a timid voice:

"Hadn't we better go back, ma'am?"

"Yes, " decided Aquareine after a moment's thought. "I think it willbe wise to retreat. The sea devils are evidently aware of ourmovements and wish to annoy us. For my part, I have no fear of them, but I do not care to have you meet such creatures. "

But when they turned around to abandon their journey, another inkycloud was to be seen behind them. They really had no choice but toswim in the only streak of clear water they could find, and themermaids well knew this would lead them nearer and nearer to thecaves of their enemies. 

But Aquareine led the way, moving very slowly, and the othersfollowed her. In every other direction they were hemmed in by theblack waters, and they did not dare to halt, because the inky fluidcrept swiftly up behind them and drove them on. 

The queen and the princess had now become silent and grave. Theyswam on either side of their guests as if to better protect them. 

"Don't look up, " whispered Clia, pressing close to the little girl'sside. 

"Why not?" asked Trot, and then she did exactly what she had beentold not to do. She lifted her head and saw stretched over them anetwork of scrawny, crimson arms interlaced like the branches oftrees in winter when the leaves have fallen and left them bare. 

Cap'n Bill gave a start and muttered "Land sakes!" for he, too, hadgazed upward and seen the crimson network of limbs. 

"Are these the sea devils?" asked the child, more curious thanfrightened. 

"Yes, dear, " replied the Queen. "But I advise you to pay noattention to them. Remember, they cannot touch us. "

In order to avoid the threatening arms overhead, which followed themas they swam, our friends kept near to the bottom of the sea, whichwas here thickly covered with rough and jagged rocks. The inky waterhad now been left far behind, but when Trot looked over hershoulder, she shuddered to find a great crimson monster followingclosely after them, with a dozen long, snaky feelers stretched outas if to grab anyone that lagged behind. And there, at the side ofPrincess Clia, was another devil, leering silently with his cruel, bulging eyes at the pretty mermaid. Beside the queen swam stillanother of their enemies. Indeed, the sea devils had crept upon themand surrounded them everywhere except at the front, and Trot beganto feel nervous and worried for the first time. 

Cap'n Bill kept mumbling queer words under his breath, for he had away of talking to himself when anything "upsot him, " as he wouldquaintly remark. Trot always knew he was disturbed or in troublewhen he began to "growl. "

The only way now open was straight ahead. They swam slowly, yet fastenough to keep a safe distance from the dreadful creature behindthem. 

"I'm afraid they are driving us into a trap, " whispered the Queensoftly. "But whatever happens, do not lose courage, earth friends. Clia and I are here to protect you, and our fairy powers aresufficient to keep you from all harm. "

"Oh, I don't mind so very much, " declared Trot calmly. "It's likethe fairy adventures in storybooks, and I've often thought I'd likethat kind of adventures, 'cause the story always turns out the rightway. "

Cap'n Bill growled something just then, but the only words Trotcould make out were, "never lived to tell the tale. "

"Oh, pshaw, Cap'n, " she said. "We may be in danger, right enough, an' to be honest, I don't like the looks of these sea devils at all. But I'm sure it's no KILLING matter, for we've got the fairy circlesall around us. "

"Ha ha!" laughed the monster beside her. "WE know all about thefairy circles, don't we, Migg?"

"Ho ho!" laughed the monster on the other side. "We do, Slibb, myboy, and we don't think much of fairy circles, either!"

"They have foiled our enemies many a time, " declared the Princesswith much dignity. 

"Ha ha!" laughed one. "That's why we're here now. "

"Ho ho!" laughed the other. "We've learned a trick or two, and we'vegot you fast this time. "

Then all the sea devils--those above and the one behind, and the twoon the sides--laughed all together, and their laughter was sohorrible that it made even Trot shudder. 

But now the queen stopped short, and the others stopped with her. 

"I will go no farther, " she said firmly, not caring if the monstersoverheard her. "It is evident that these monsters are trying todrive us into some secret place, and it is well known that they arein league with Zog the Terrible, whom they serve because they are aswicked as he is. We must be somewhere near the hidden castle of Zog, so I prefer to stay here rather than be driven into some place farmore dangerous. As for the sea devils, they are powerless to injureus in any way. Not one of those thousand arms about us can possiblytouch our bodies. "

The only reply to this defiant speech was another burst of horriblelaughter; and now there suddenly appeared before them still anotherof the monsters, which thus completely hemmed them in. Then thecreatures began interlacing their long arms--or "feelers"--untilthey formed a perfect cage around the prisoners, not an openingbeing left that was large enough for one of them to escape through. 

The mermaids and the girl and sailor man kept huddled closetogether, for although they might be walled in by the sea devils, their captors could not touch them because of the protecting magiccircles. 

All at once Trot exclaimed, "Why, we must be moving!"

This was startling news, but by watching the flow of water past themthey saw that the little girl was right. The sea devils wereswimming, all together, and as the cage they were in moved forward, our friends were carried with it. 

Queen Aquareine had a stern look upon her beautiful face. Cap'n Billguessed from this look that the mermaid was angry, for it seemedmuch like the look Trot's mother wore when they came home late todinner. But however angry the queen might be, she was unable to helpherself or her guests just now or to escape from the guidance of thedreaded sea devils. The rest of the party had become sober andthoughtful, and in dignified silence they awaited the outcome ofthis strange adventure. 

CHAPTER 12

THE ENCHANTED ISLAND

All at once it grew dark around them. Neither Cap'n Bill nor Trotliked this gloom, for it made them nervous not to be able to seetheir enemies. 

"We must be near a sea cavern, if not within one, " whisperedPrincess Clia, and even as she spoke the network of scarlet armsparted before them, leaving an avenue for them to swim out of thecage. There was brighter water ahead, too, so the queen said withouthesitation:

"Come along, dear friends; but let us clasp hands and keep closetogether. "

They obeyed her commands and swam swiftly out of their prison andinto the clear water before them, glad to put a distance betweenthemselves and the loathesome sea devils. The monsters made noattempt to follow them, but they burst into a chorus of harshlaughter which warned our friends that they had not yet accomplishedtheir escape. 

The four now found themselves in a broad, rocky passage, which wasdimly lighted from some unknown source. The walls overhead, belowthem and at the sides all glistened as if made of silver, and inplaces were set small statues of birds, beasts and fishes, occupyingniches in the walls and seemingly made from the same glisteningmaterial. 

The queen swam more slowly now that the sea devils had been leftbehind, and she looked exceedingly grave and thoughtful. 

"Have you ever been here before?" asked Trot. 

"No, dear, " said the Queen with a sigh. 

"And do you know where we are?" continued the girl. 

"I can guess, " replied Aquareine. "There is only one place in allthe sea where such a passage as that we are in could exist withoutmy knowledge, and that is in the hidden dominions of Zog. If we areindeed in the power of that fearful magician, we must summon all ourcourage to resist him, or we are lost!"

"Is Zog more powerful than the mermaids?" asked Trot anxiously. 

"I do not know, for we have never before met to measure ourstrength, " answered Aquareine. "But if King Anko could defeat themagician, as he surely did, then I think I shall be able to do so. "

"I wish I was sure of it, " muttered Cap'n Bill. 

Absolute silence reigned in the silver passage. No fish were there;not even a sea flower grew to relieve the stern grandeur of thisvast corridor. Trot began to be impressed with the fact that she wasa good way from her home and mother, and she wondered if she wouldever get back again to the white cottage on the cliff. Here she was, at the bottom of the great ocean, swimming through a big tunnel thathad an enchanted castle at the end, and a group of horrible seadevils at the other! In spite of this thought, she was not very muchafraid. Although two fairy mermaids were her companions, she relied, strange to say, more upon her tried and true friend, Cap'n Bill, than upon her newer acquaintances to see her safely out of herpresent trouble. 

Cap'n Bill himself did not feel very confident. 

"I don't care two cents what becomes o' me, " he told Princess Cliain a low voice, "but I'm drea'ful worried over our Trot. She's toosweet an' young to be made an end of in this 'ere fashion. "

Clia smiled at this speech. "I'm sure you will find the littlegirl's end a good way off, " she replied. "Trust to our powerfulqueen, and be sure she will find some means for us all to escapeuninjured. "

The light grew brighter as they advanced, until finally theyperceived a magnificent archway just ahead of them. Aquareinehesitated a moment whether to go on or turn back, but there was noescaping the sea devils behind them, and she decided the best wayout of their difficulties was to bravely face the unknown Zog andrely upon her fairy powers to prevent his doing any mischief toherself or her friends. So she led the way, and together theyapproached the archway and passed through it. 

They now found themselves in a vast cavern, so great in extent thatthe dome overhead looked like the sky when seen from earth. In thecenter of this immense sea cavern rose the towers of a splendidcastle, all built of coral inlaid with silver and having windows ofclear glass. 

Surrounding the castle were beds of beautiful sea flowers, manybeing in full bloom, and these were laid out with great care inartistic designs. Goldfish and silverfish darted here and thereamong the foliage, and the whole scene was so pretty and peacefulthat Trot began to doubt there was any danger lurking in such alovely place. 

As they approached to look around them, a brilliantly coloredgregfish approached and gazed at them curiously with his big, saucer-like eyes. "So Zog has got you at last!" he said in a pityingtone. "How foolish you were to swim into that part of the sea wherehe is powerful. "

"The sea devils made us, " explained Clia. 

"Well, I'm sorry for you, I'm sure, " remarked the Greg, and with aflash of his tail, he disappeared among the sea foliage. 

"Let us go to the castle, " said the Queen in a determined voice. "Wemay as well boldly defy our fate as to wait until Zog seeks us out. "

So they swam to the entrance of the castle. The doors stood wideopen, and the interior seemed as well lighted as the cavern itself, although none of them could discover from whence the light came. 

At each side of the entrance lay a fish such as they had never seenbefore. It was flat as a doormat and seemed to cling fast to thecoral floor. Upon its back were quills like those of a porcupine, all pointed and sharp. From the center of the fish arose a headshaped like a round ball, with a circle of piercing, bead-like eyesset in it. These strange guardians of the entrance might be able totell what their numerous eyes saw, yet they remained silent andwatchful. Even Aquareine gazed upon them curiously, and she gave alittle shudder as she did so. 

Inside the entrance was a domed hall with a flight of stairs leadingto an upper balcony. Around the hall were several doorways hung withcurtains made of woven seaweeds. Chairs and benches stood againstthe wall, and these astonished the visitors because neither stairsnor chairs seemed useful in a kingdom where every living thing wassupposed to swim and have a fish's tail. In Queen Aquareine'spalaces benches for reclining were used, and stairs were whollyunnecessary, but in the Palace of Zog the furniture and fittingswere much like those of a house upon earth, and except that everyspace here was filled with water instead of air, Trot and Cap'n Billmight have imagined themselves in a handsome earthly castle. 

The little group paused half fearfully in the hall, yet so far therewas surely nothing to be afraid of. They were wondering what to donext when the curtains of an archway were pushed aside and a boyentered. To Trot's astonishment, he had legs and walked upon themnaturally and with perfect ease. He was a delicate, frail-lookinglittle fellow, dressed in a black velvet suit with knee breeches. The bows at his throat and knees were of colored seaweeds, woveninto broad ribbons. His hair was yellow and banged across hisforehead. His eyes were large and dark, with a pleasant, merrysparkle in them. Around his neck he wore a high ruff, but in spiteof this Trot could see that below his plump cheeks were severalscarlet-edged slits that looked like the gills of fishes, for theygently opened and closed as the boy breathed in the water by whichhe was surrounded. These gills did not greatly mar the lad'sdelicate beauty, and he spread out his arms and bowed low andgracefully in greeting. 

"Hello, " said Trot. 

"Why, I'd like to, " replied the boy with a laugh, "but being a mereslave, it isn't proper for me to hello. But it's good to see earthpeople again, and I'm glad you're here. "

"We're not glad, " observed the girl. "We're afraid. "

"You'll get over that, " declared the boy smilingly. "People lose alot of time being afraid. Once I was myself afraid, but I found itwas no fun, so I gave it up. "

"Why were we brought here?" inquired Queen Aquareine gently. 

"I can't say, madam, being a mere slave, " replied the boy. "But youhave reminded me of my errand. I am sent to inform you all that Zogthe Forsaken, who hates all the world and is hated by all the world, commands your presence in his den. "

"Do you hate Zog, too?" asked Trot. 

"Oh no, " answered the boy. "People lose a lot of time in hatingothers, and there's no fun in it at all. Zog may be hateful, but I'mnot going to waste time hating him. You may do so, if you like. "

"You are a queer child, " remarked the Mermaid Queen, looking at himattentively. "Will you tell us who you are?"

"Once I was Prince Sacho of Sacharhineolaland, which is a sweetcountry, but hard to pronounce, " he answered. "But in this domain Ihave but one title and one name, and that is 'Slave. '"

"How came you to be Zog's slave?" asked Clia. 

"The funniest adventure you ever heard of, " asserted the boy witheager pride. "I sailed in a ship that went to pieces in a storm. Allon board were drowned but me, and I came mighty near it, to tell thetruth. I went down deep, deep into the sea, and at the bottom wasZog, watching the people drown. I tumbled on his head, and hegrabbed and saved me, saying I would make a useful slave. By hismagic power he made me able to live under water as the fishes live, and he brought me to this castle and taught me to wait upon him ashis other slaves do. "

"Isn't it a dreadful, lonely life?" asked Trot. 

"No indeed, " said Sacho. "We haven't any time to be lonely, and thedreadful things Zog does are very exciting and amusing, I assureyou. He keeps us guessing every minute, and that makes the life hereinteresting. Things were getting a bit slow an hour ago, but nowthat you are here, I'm in hopes we will all be kept busy and amusedfor some time. "

"Are there many others in the castle besides you and Zog?" askedAquareine. 

"Dozens of us. Perhaps hundreds. I've never counted them, " said theboy. "But Zog is the only master; all the rest of us are in the sameclass, so there is no jealousy among the slaves. "

"What is Zog like?" Cap'n Bill questioned. 

At this the boy laughed, and the laugh was full of mischief. "If Icould tell you what Zog is like, it would take me a year, " was thereply. "But I can't tell you. Every one has a different idea of whathe's like, and soon you will see him yourselves. "

"Are you fond of him?" asked Trot. 

"If I said yes, I'd get a good whipping, " declared Sacho. "I amcommanded to hate Zog, and being a good servant, I try to obey. Ifanyone dared to like Zog, I am sure he'd be instantly fed to theturtles; so I advise you not to like him. "

"Oh, we won't, " promised Trot. 

"But we're keeping the master waiting, and that is also a dangerousthing to do, " continued the boy. "If we don't hurry up, Zog willbegin to smile, and when he smiles there is trouble brewing. "

The queen sighed. "Lead the way, Sacho, " she said. "We will follow. "

The boy bowed again, and going to an archway, held aside thecurtains for them. They first swam into a small anteroom which ledinto a long corridor, at the end of which was another curtainedarch. Through this Sacho also guided them, and now they foundthemselves in a cleverly constructed maze. Every few feet weretwists and turns and sharp corners, and sometimes the passage wouldbe wide, and again so narrow that they could just squeeze through insingle file. "Seems like we're gettin' further into the trap, "growled Cap'n Bill. "We couldn't find our way out o' here to saveour lives. "

"Oh yes we could, " replied Clia, who was just behind him. "Such amaze may indeed puzzle you, but the queen or I could lead you safelythrough it again, I assure you. Zog is not so clever as he thinkshimself. "

The sailor, however, found the maze very bewildering, and so didTrot. Passages ran in every direction, crossing and recrossing, andit seemed wonderful that the boy Sacho knew just which way to go. But he never hesitated an instant. Trot looked carefully to see ifthere were any marks to guide him, but every wall was of plain, polished marble, and every turning looked just like all the others. Suddenly Sacho stopped short. They were now in a broader passage, but as they gathered around their conductor they found furtheradvance blocked. Solid walls faced them, and here the corridorseemed to end. 

"Enter!" said a clear voice. 

"But we can't!" protested Trot. 

"Swim straight ahead, " whispered the boy in soft tones. "There is noreal barrier before you. Your eyes are merely deceived by magic. "

"Ah, I understand, " said Aquareine, nodding her pretty head. Andthen she took Mayre's hand and swam boldly forward, while Cap'n Billfollowed holding the hand of Clia. And behold! the marble wallmelted away before them, and they found themselves in a chamber moresplendid than even the fairy mermaids had ever seen before. 

CHAPTER 13

PRISONERS OF THE SEA MONSTER

The room in the enchanted castle which Zog called the "den" and inwhich the wicked sea monster passed most of his time was a perfectlyshaped dome of solid gold. The upper part of this dome was thicklyset with precious jewels--diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds, which sparkled beautifully through the crystal water. The lowerwalls were as thickly studded with pearls, all being of perfectshape and color. Many of the pearls were larger than any which maybe found upon earth, for the sea people knew where to find the verybest and hide them away where men cannot discover them. 

The golden floor was engraved with designs of rare beauty, depictingnot only sea life, but many adventures upon land. In the room wereseveral large, golden cabinets, the doors of which were closed andlocked, and in addition to the cabinets there were tables, chairsand sofas, the latter upholstered with softest sealskins. Handsomerugs of exquisitely woven seaweeds were scattered about, the colorsof which were artistically blended together. In one corner afountain of air bubbled up through the water. The entire room waslighted as brilliantly as if exposed to the direct rays of the sun, yet where this light came from our friends could not imagine. Nolamp or other similar device was visible anywhere. 

The strangers at first scarcely glanced at all these beautifulthings, for in an easy chair sat Zog himself, more wonderful thanany other living creature, and as they gazed upon him, their eyesseemed fascinated as if held by a spell. Zog's face was the face ofa man, except that the tops of his ears were pointed like horns andhe had small horns instead of eyebrows and a horn on the end of hischin. In spite of these deformities, the expression of the face wasnot unpleasant or repulsive. His hair was carefully parted andbrushed, and his mouth and nose were not only perfect in shape butquite handsome. 

Only the eyes betrayed Zog and made him terrible to all beholders. They seemed like coals of glowing fire and sparkled so fiercely thatno one ever cared to meet their gaze for more than an instant. Perhaps the monster realized this, for he usually drooped his longlashes over his fiery eyes to shut out their glare. Zog had twowell-shaped legs which ended in the hoofs of beasts instead of feet, and these hoofs were shod with gold. His body was a shapeless masscovered with richly embroidered raiment, over which a great robe ofcloth of gold fell in many folds. This robe was intended to hide themagician's body from view, but Trot noticed that the cloth movedconstantly in little ripples, as if what lay underneath would notkeep still. 

The best features of which Zog could boast were his arms and hands, the latter being as well formed, as delicate and white as those of awell-bred woman. When he spoke, his voice sounded sweet and clear, and its tones were very gentle. He had given them a few moments tostare at him, for he was examining them in turn with considerablecuriosity. "Well, " said he, "do you not find me the most hatefulcreature you have ever beheld?"

The queen refrained from answering, but Trot said promptly, "We do. Nothing could be more horrider or more disgustin' than you are, itseems to me. "

"Very good, very good indeed, " declared the monster, lifting hislashes to flash his glowing eyes upon them. Then he turned towardCap'n Bill. "Man-fish, " he continued, "what do YOU think of me?"

"Mighty little, " the sailor replied. "You orter be 'shamed to asksech a question, knowin' you look worse ner the devil himself. "

"Very true, " answered Zog, frowning. He felt that he had received ahigh compliment, and the frown showed he was pleased with Cap'nBill. 

But now Queen Aquareine advanced to a position in front of theircaptor and said, "Tell me, Zog, why have you trapped us and broughtus here?"

"To destroy you, " was the quick answer, and the magician turned foran instant to flash his eyes upon the beautiful mermaid. "For twohundred years I have been awaiting a chance to get within my powersome friend of Anko the Sea Serpent--of Anko, whom I hate!" headded, smiling sweetly. "When you left your palace today, my swiftspies warned me, and so I sent the sea devils to capture you. Oftenhave they tried to do this before, but always failed. Today, actingby my command, they tricked you, and by surrounding you forced youto the entrance of my enchanted castle. The result is a fine captureof important personages. I have now in my power the queen andprincess of the fairy mermaids, as well as two wandering earthpeople, and I assure you I shall take great pleasure in destroyingyou utterly. "

"You are a coward, " declared the Queen proudly. "You dared not meetus in the open sea. "

"No, I dare not leave this castle, " Zog admitted, still smiling. "But here in my own domain my power is supreme. Nothing caninterfere with my vengeance. "

"That remains to be seen, " said Aquareine, firmly meeting the gazeof the terrible eyes. 

"Of course, " he answered, nodding his head with a graceful movement. "You will try to thwart me and escape. You will pit your fairy poweragainst my powers of magic. That will give me great pleasure, forthe more you struggle, the greater will be my revenge. "

"But why should you seek revenge upon us?" asked Clia. "We havenever harmed you. "

"That is true, " replied Zog. "I bear you no personal ill will. Butyou are friends of my great enemy, King Anko, and it will annoy himvery much when he finds that you have been destroyed by me. I cannothurt the rascally old sea serpent himself, but through you I canmake him feel my vengeance. "

"The mermaids have existed thousands of years, " said the Queen in atone of pride. "Do you imagine the despised and conquered Zog haspower to destroy them?"

"I do not know, " was the quiet answer. "It will be interesting todiscover which is the more powerful. "

"I challenge you to begin the test at once, vile magician!"exclaimed Aquareine. 

"There is no hurry, fair Queen, " answered Zog in his softest tones. "I have been so many years in accomplishing your capture that it isfoolish to act hastily now. Besides, I am lonely. Here in my forcedretirement I see only those uninteresting earth mortals whom I havemade my slaves, for all sea dwellers are forbidden to serve me savethe sea devils, and they dare not enter my castle. I have saved manymortals from drowning and brought them here to people my castle, butI do not love mortals. Two lovely mermaids are much moreinteresting, and before I allow you to perish, I shall have muchamusement in witnessing your despair and your struggles to escape. You are now my prisoners. By slow degrees I shall wear out yourfairy powers and break your hearts, as well as the hearts of theseearth dwellers who have no magic powers, and I think it will be along time before I finally permit you to die. "

"That's all right, " said Trot cheerfully. "The longer you take, thebetter I'll be satisfied. "

"That's how I feel about it, " added Cap'n Bill. "Don't get in ahurry to kill us Zog. It'll be such a wear an' tear on your nerves. Jes' take it easy an' let us live as long as we can. "

"Don't you care to die?" asked the magician. 

"It's a thing I never longed for, " the sailor replied. "You see, wehad no business to go on a trip with the mermaids to begin with. I've allus heard tell that mermaids is dangerous, an' no one as met'em ever lived to tell the tale. Eh, Trot?"

"That's what you said, Cap'n Bill. "

"So I guess we're done for, one way 'r 'nother, an' it don't mattermuch which. But Trot's a good child, an' mighty young an' tender. Itdon't seem like her time has come to die. I'd like to have her sentsafe home to her mother. So I've got this 'ere proposition to make, Zog. If your magic could make ME die twice, or even THREE times fergood measure, why you go ahead an' do it an' I won't complain. All Iask is fer you to send this little girl safe back to dry landagain. "

"Don't you do it, Zog!" cried Trot indignantly, and turning to Cap'nBill, she added, "I'm not goin' to leave you down here in all thismess, Cap'n, and don't you think it. If one of us gets out of themuddle we're in, we'll both get out, so don't you make any bargainswith Zog to die twice. "

Zog listened to this conversation very carefully. "The dying doesnot amount to much, " he said. "It is the thinking about it thathurts you mortals most. I've watched many a shipwreck at sea, andthe people would howl and scream for hours before the ship broke up. Their terror was very enjoyable. But when the end came, they alldrowned as peacefully as if they were going to sleep, so it didn'tamuse me at all. "

"I'm not worrying, " said Trot. 

"Ner me, " said Cap'n Bill. "You'll find we can take what comes jes'as easy as anybody. "

"I do not expect to get much from you poor mortals, " said Zogcarelessly. "You are merely a side show to my circus, a sort ofdessert to my feast of vengeance. When the time comes, I can find ahundred ways to kill you. My most interesting prisoners are thesepretty mermaids, who claim that none of their race has ever yet diedor been destroyed. The first mermaid ever created is living yet, andI am told she is none other than Queen Aquareine. So I have a prettyproblem before me to invent some way to destroy the mermaids or putthem out of existence. And it will require some thought. "

"Also, it will require some power you do not possess, " suggested theQueen. 

"That may be, " replied Zog softly. "But I am going to experiment, and I believe I shall be able to cause you a lot of pain and sorrowbefore I finally make an end of you. I have not lived twenty-seventhousand years, Aquareine, without getting a certain amount ofwisdom, and I am more powerful than you suspect. "

"You are a monster and a wicked magician, " said the Mermaid Queen. 

"I am, " agreed Zog, "but I cannot help it. I was created part man, part bird, part fish, part beast and part reptile, and such amonstrosity could not be otherwise than wicked. Everybody hates me, and I hate everybody. "

"Why don't you kill yourself?" asked Trot. 

"I've tried that and failed, " he answered. "Only one being in theworld has power to destroy me, and that is King Anko, the seaserpent. "

"Then you'd better let him do it, " advised the little girl. 

"No. Much as I long to die, I cannot allow King Anko the pleasure ofkilling me. He has always been my worst enemy, and it would be sucha joy to him to kill me that I really cannot allow him. Indeed, Ihave always hoped to kill Anko. I have now been three thousand sixhundred and forty-two years, eleven months and nine days figuringout a plan to destroy old Anko, and as yet I have not discovered away. "

"I'd give it up, if I were you, " advised Trot. "Don't you think youcould get some fun out of trying to be good?"

"No!" cried Zog, and his voice was not so soft as before. "Listen, Aquareine, you and your attendants shall be prisoners in this castleuntil I can manage to stop you from living. Rooms will be placed atyour disposal, and I wish you to go to them at o nce, as I am tiredof looking at you. "

"You're no more tired than we are, " remarked Trot. "It's lucky youcan't see yourself, Zog. "

He turned his glowing eyes full upon her. "The worst of my queerbody I keep concealed, " he said. "If ever you see it, you willscream with terror. " He touched a bell beside him, and the girl wassurprised to find how clearly its tones rang out through the water. In an instant the boy Sacho appeared and bowed low before hisdreadful master. "Take the mermaids and the child to the RoseChamber, " commanded Zog, "and take the old man-fish to the PeonyRoom. "

Sacho turned to obey. "Are the outer passages well guarded?" askedthe monster. 

"Yes, as you have commanded, " said the boy. 

"Then you may allow the prisoners to roam at will throughout thecastle. Now, go!"

The prisoners followed Sacho from the room, glad to get away. Thepresence of this evil being had grown oppressive to them, and Zoghad himself seemed ill at ease during the last few minutes. The robeso closely wound around his body moved jerkily, as if somethingbeneath disturbed it, and at such times Zog shifted nervously in hisseat. 

Sacho's thin little legs trotted through the water and led the wayinto a different passage from the one by which they had entered. They swam slowly after him and breathed easier when they had leftthe golden domed chamber where their wicked enemy sat enthroned. "Well, how do you like him?" asked Sacho with a laugh. 

"We hate him!" declared Trot emphatically. 

"Of course you do, " replied Sacho. "But you're wasting time hatinganything. It doesn't do you any good, or him any harm. Can yousing?"

"A little, " said Trot, "but I don't feel like singing now. "

"You're wrong about that, " the boy asserted. "Anything that keepsyou from singing is foolishness, unless it's laughter. Laughter, joyand song are the only good things in the world. "

Trot did not answer this queer speech, for just then they came to aflight of stairs, and Sacho climbed up them while the others swam. And now they were in a lofty, broad corridor having many doors hungwith seaweed draperies. At one of these doorways Sacho stopped andsaid, "Here is the Rose Chamber where the master commands you tolive until you die. You may wander anywhere in the castle as youplease; to leave it is impossible. Whenever you return to the RoseChamber, you will know it by this design of roses sewn in pearlsupon the hangings. The Peony Room where the man-fish is to live isthe next one farther on. "

"Thank you, " replied Queen Aquareine. "Are we to be fed?"

"Meals will be served in your rooms. If you desire anything, ringthe bell and some of the slaves will be sure to answer it. I ammostly in attendance upon my master, but whenever I am at liberty Iwill look after your comfort myself. "

Again they thanked the strange boy, and he turned and left them. They could hear him whistle and sing as he returned along thepassage. Then Princess Clia parted the curtains that her queen andcompanions might enter the Rose Chamber. 

CHAPTER 14

CAP'N JOE AND CAP'N BILL

The rooms Zog had given his prisoners were as handsome as all otherparts of this strange enchanted castle. Gold was used plentifully inthe decorations, and in the Rose Chamber occupied by the mermaidsand Trot golden roses formed a border around the entire room. Thesea maidens had evidently been expected, for the magician hadprovided couches for them to recline upon similar to the ones usedin the mermaid palaces. The frames were of mother of pearl and thecushions of soft, white sponges. In the room were toilet tables, mirrors, ornaments and many articles used by earth people, whichthey afterward learned had been plundered by Zog from sunken shipsand brought to his castle by his allies, the sea devils. 

While the mermaids were examining and admiring their room, Cap'nBill went to the Peony Room to see what it was like and found hisquarters were very cozy and interesting. There were pictures on thewall, portraits of grave-looking porpoises, bashful seals, and smugand smiling walruses. Some of the wall panels were formed of mirrorsand reflected clearly the interior of the room. Around the ceilingwas a frieze of imitation peonies in silver, and the furniture waspeony-shaped, the broad leaves being bent to form seats and couches. Beside a pretty dressing table hung a bell cord with a tassel at theend. Cap'n Bill did not know it was a bell cord, so he pulled it tosee what would happen and was puzzled to find that nothing seemed tohappen at all, the bell being too far away for him to hear it. Thenhe began looking at the treasures contained in this royal apartment, and was much pleased with a golden statue of a mermaid thatresembled Princess Clia in feature. A silver flower vase upon astand contained a bouquet of gorgeous peonies, "as nat'ral as life, "said Cap'n Bill, although he saw plainly that they must be made ofmetal. 

Trot came in just then to see how her dear friend was located. Sheentered from the doorway that connected the two rooms and said, "Isn't it pretty, Cap'n? And who'd ever think that awful creatureZog owned such a splendid castle and kept his prisoners in suchlovely rooms?"

"I once heard tell, " said the sailor, "of a foreign people thatsacrificed humans to please their pagan gods, an' before they killed'em outright they stuffed the victims full of good things to eat an'dressed 'em in pretty clothes an' treated 'em like princes. That'swhy I don't take much comfort in our fine surroundin's, Trot. ThisZog is a pagan, if ever there was one, an' he don't mean us anygood, you may depend on 't. "

"No, " replied Trot soberly, "I'm sure he does not expect us to behappy here. But I'm going to fool him and have just as good a timeas I can. " As she spoke they both turned around--an easy thing to dowith a single flop of their flexible tails--and Cap'n Bill uttered acry of surprise. Just across the room stood a perfect duplicate ofhimself. The round head, with its bald top and scraggly whiskers, the sailor cap and shirt, the wide pantaloons, even the wooden leg, each and every one were exact copies of those owned by Cap'n Bill. Even the expression in the light-blue eyes was the same, and it isno wonder the old sailor stared at his "double" in amazement. Butthe next minute he laughed and said, "Why, Trot, it's ME reflectedin a mirror. But at first I thought it was someone else. "

Trot was staring, too. "Look, Cap'n!" she whispered. "Look at thewooden leg. "

"Well, it's MY wooden leg, ain't it?" he inquired. 

"If it is, it can't be a reflection in a mirror, " she argued, "forYOU haven't got a wooden leg. You've got a fish's tail. "

The old sailor was so startled by this truth that he gave a greatflop with his tail that upset his balance and made him keel asomersault in the water before he got right side up again. Then hefound the other sailor man laughing at him and was horrified to findthe "reflection" advancing toward them by stumping along on itswooden leg. "Keep away! Get out, there!" yelled Cap'n Bill. "You'rea ghost, the ghost o' me that once was, an' I can't bear the sighto' you. Git out!"

"Did you ring jes' to tell me to git out?" asked the other in a mildvoice. 

"I--I didn't ring, " declared Cap'n Bill. 

"You did. You pulled that bell cord, " said the one-legged (one ormore lines missing here in this edition)

"Oh, did pullin' that thing ring a bell?" inquired the Cap'n, alittle ashamed of his ignorance and reassured by hearing the "ghost"talk. 

"It surely did, " was the reply, "and Sacho told me to answer yourbell and look after you. So I'm a-lookin' after you. "

"I wish you wouldn't, " protested Cap'n Bill. "I've no use fer--ferghostses, anyhow. "

The strange sailor began to chuckle at hearing this, and his chucklewas just like Cap'n Bill's chuckle, so full of merry humor that itusually made everyone laugh with him. 

"Who are you?" asked Trot, who was very curious and much surprised. 

"I'm Cap'n Joe, " was the reply. "Cap'n Joe Weedles, formerly o' thebrig 'Gladsome' an' now a slave o' Zog at the bottom o' the sea. "

"J--J--Joe Wee-Weedles!" gasped Cap'n Bill, amazed. "Joe Weedles o'the 'Gladsome'! Why, dash my eyes, mate, you must be my brother!"

"Are YOU Bill Weedles?" asked the other. And then he added, "But no, you can't be. Bill wasn't no mermaid. He were a human critter likemyself. "

"That's what I am, " said Cap'n Bill hastily. "I'm a human critter, too. I've jes' borrered this fish tail to swim with while I'mvisitin' the mermaids. "

"Well, well, " said Cap'n Joe in astonishment. "Who'd o' thought it!An' who'd ever o' thought as I'd find my long-lost brother in Zog'senchanted castle full fifty fathoms deep down in the wet, wetwater!"

"Why, as fer that, " replied Cap'n Bill, "it's YOU as is thelong-lost brother, not me. You an' your ship disappeared many a yearago, an' ain't never been heard of since, while, as you see, I'mlivin' on earth yet. "

"You don't look it to all appearances, " remarked Cap'n Joe in areflective tone of voice. "But I'll agree it's many a year since Isaw the top o' the water, an' I'm not expectin' to ever tramp on dryland again. "

"Are you dead, or drownded, or what?" asked Cap'n Bill. 

"Neither one nor t'other, " was the answer. "But Zog gave me gillsso's I could live in the water like fishes do, an' if I got on landI couldn't breathe air any more'n a fish out o' water can. So Iguess as long as I live, I'll hev to stay down here. "

"Do you like it?" asked Trot. 

"Oh, I don't objec' much, " said Cap'n Joe. "There ain't muchexcitement here, fer we don't catch a flock o' mermaids ev'ry day, but the work is easy an' the rations fair. I might o' been worseoff, you know, for when my brig was wrecked, I'd 'a' gone to DavyJones's Locker if Zog hadn't happened to find me an' made me afish. "

"You don't look as much like a fish as Cap'n Bill does, " observedTrot. 

"P'raps not, " said Cap'n Joe, "but I notice Bill ain't got any gillsan' breathes like you an' the mermaids does. When he gets back toland, he'll have his two legs again an' live in comfort breathin'air. "

"I won't have two legs, " asserted Cap'n Bill, "for when I'm on earthI'm fitted with one wooden leg, jes' the same as you are, Joe. "

"Oh, I hadn't heard o' that, Bill, but I'm not surprised, " repliedBrother Joe. "Many a sailor gets to wear a wooden leg in time. Mine's hick'ry. "

"So's mine, " said Cap'n Bill with a air of pride. "I'm glad I've runacross you, Joe, for I often wondered what had become of you. Seemstoo bad, though, to have to spend all your life under water. "

"What's the odds?" asked Cap'n Joe. "I never could keep away fromthe water since I was a boy, an' there's more dangers to be metfloatin' on it than there is soakin' in it. An' one other thingpleases me when I think on it: I'm parted from my wife, a mightygood woman with a tongue like a two-edge sword, an' my porewidder'll get the insurance money an' live happy. As fer me, Bill, I'm a good deal happier than I was when she kep' scoldin' me frommornin' to night every minute I was home. "

"Is Zog a kind master?" asked Trot. 

"I can't say he's kind, " replied Cap'n Joe, "for he's as near adevil as any livin' critter CAN be. He grumbles an' growls in hissoft voice all day, an' hates himself an' everybody else. But Idon't see much of him. There's so many of us slaves here that Zogdon't pay much attention to us, an' we have a pretty good time whenthe ol' magician is shut up in his den, as he mostly is. "

"Could you help us to escape?" asked the child. 

"Why, I don't know how, " admitted Cap'n Joe. "There's magic allaround us, and we slaves are never allowed to leave this great cave. I'll do what I can, o' course, but Sacho is the boy to help you ifanyone can. That little chap knows a heap, I can tell you. So now, if nothin' more's wanted, I must get back to work. "

"What work do you do?" Cap'n Bill asked. 

"I sew buttons on Zog's clothes. Every time he gets mad, he bustshis buttons off, an' I have to sew 'em on again. As he's mad most o'the time, it keeps me busy. "

"I'll see you again, won't I, Joe?" said Cap'n Bill. 

"No reason why you shouldn't, if you manage to keep alive, " saidCap'n Joe. "But you mustn't forget, Bill, this Zog has his grip onyou, an' I've never known anything to escape him yet. "

Saying this, the old sailor began to stump toward the door, buttripped his foot against his wooden leg and gave a swift diveforward. He would have fallen flat had he not grabbed the drapery atthe doorway and saved himself by holding fast to it with both hands. Even then he rolled and twisted so awkwardly before he could getupon his legs that Trot had to laugh outright at his antics. "Thishick'ry leg, " said Cap'n Joe, "is so blamed light that it alwayswants to float. Agga-Groo, the goldworker, has promised me a goldleg that will stay down, but he never has time to make it. You'remighty lucky, Bill, to have a merman's tail instead o' legs. "

"I guess I am, Joe, " replied Cap'n Bill, "for in such a wet countrythe fishes have the best of it. But I ain't sure I'd like this sorto' thing always. "

"Think o' the money you'd make in a side show, " said Cap'n Joe withhis funny chuckling laugh. Then he pounded his wooden leg againstthe hard floor and managed to hobble from the room without moreaccidents. 

When he had gone, Trot said, "Aren't you glad to find your brotheragain, Cap'n Bill?"

"Why, so-so, " replied the sailor. "I don't know much about Joe, seein' as we haven't met before for many a long year, an' all Iremember about our boyhood days is that we fit an' pulled hair mosto' the time. But what worries me most is Joe's lookin' so much likeme myself, wooden leg an' all. Don't you think it's rather cheekyan' unbrotherly, Trot?"

"Perhaps he can't help it, " suggested the child. "And anyhow, he'llnever be able to live on land again. "

"No, " said Cap'n Bill with a sigh. "Joe's a fish, now, an' so heain't likely to be took for me by one of our friends on the earth. "

CHAPTER 15

THE MAGIC OF THE MERMAIDS

When Trot and Cap'n Bill entered the Rose Chamber they found the twomermaids reclining before an air fountain that was sending thousandsof tiny bubbles up through the water. 

"These fountains of air are excellent things, " remarked QueenAquareine, "for they keep the water fresh and sweet, and that is themore necessary when it is confined by walls, as it is in thiscastle. But now, let us counsel together and decide what to do inthe emergency that confronts us. "

"How can we tell what to do without knowing what's going to happen?"asked Trot. 

"Somethin's sure to happen, " said Cap'n Bill. 

As if to prove his words, a gong suddenly sounded at their door andin walked a fat little man clothed all in white, including a whiteapron and white cap. His face was round and jolly, and he had a bigmustache that curled up at the ends. 

"Well, well!" said the little man, spreading out his legs andputting his hands on his hips as he stood looking at them. "Of allthe queer things in the sea, you're the queerest! Mermaids, eh?"

"Don't bunch us that way!" protested Cap'n Bill. 

"You are quite wrong, " said Trot. "I'm a--a girl. "

"With a fish's tail?" he asked, laughing at her. 

"That's only just for a while, " she said, "while I'm in the water, you know. When I'm at home on the land I walk just as you do, an' sodoes Cap'n Bill. "

"But we haven't any gills, " remarked the Cap'n, looking closely atthe little man's throat, "so I take it we're not as fishy as someothers. "

"If you mean me, I must admit you are right, " said the little man, twisting his mustache. "I'm as near a fish as a man can be. But yousee, Cap'n, without the gills that make me a fish, I could not liveunder water. "

"When it comes to that, you've no business to live under water, "asserted the sailor. "But I s'pose you're a slave and can't helpit. "

"I'm chief cook for that old horror Zog. And that reminds me, goodmermaids, or good people, or good girls and sailors, or whatever youare, that I'm sent here to ask what you'd like to eat. "

"Good to see you, sir, " said Cap'n Bill. "I'm nearly starved, myself. "

"I had it in mind, " said the little man, "to prepare a regularmermaid dinner, but since you're not mermaids--"

"Oh, two of us are, " said the Queen, smiling. "I, my good cook, amAquareine, the ruler of the mermaids, and this is the PrincessClia. "

"I've often heard of you, your Majesty, " returned the chief cook, bowing respectfully, "and I must say I've heard only good of you. Now that you have unfortunately become my master's prisoners, itwill give me pleasure to serve you as well as I am able. "

"We thank you, good sir, " said Aquareine. 

"What have you got to eat?" inquired Trot. "Seems to me I'm hollowway down to my toes--my tail, I mean--and it'll take a lot to fillme up. We haven't eaten a morsel since breakfast, you know. "

"I think I shall be able to give you almost anything you wouldlike, " said the cook. "Zog is a wonderful magician and can procureanything that exists with no more effort than a wiggle of his thumb. But some eatables, you know, are hard to serve under water, becausethey get so damp that they are soon ruined. "

"Ah, it is different with the mermaids, " said Princess Clia. 

"Yes, all your things are kept dry because they are surrounded byair. I've heard how the mermaids live. But here it is different. "

"Take this ring, " said the Queen, handing the chief cook a circletwhich she drew from her finger. "While it is in your possession, thefood you prepare will not get wet, or even moist. "

"I thank your Majesty, " returned the cook, taking the ring. "My nameis Tom Atto, and I'll do my best to please you. How would you likefor luncheon some oysters on the half-shell, clam broth, shrimpsalad, broiled turtle steak and watermelon?"

"That will do very nicely, " answered the Queen. 

"Do watermelons grow in the sea?" asked Trot. 

"Of course, that is why they are called watermelons, " replied TomAtto. "I think I shall serve you a water ice, in addition to therest. Water ice is an appropriate sea food. "

"Have some watercress with the salad, " said Cap'n Bill. 

"I'd thought of that, " declared the cook. "Doesn't my bill of faremake your mouths water?"

"Hurry up and get it ready, " suggested Trot. 

Tom Atto at once bowed and retired, and when they were done, Cap'nBill said to the queen, "Do you think, ma'am, we can manage toescape from Zog and his castle?"

"I hope we shall find a way, " replied Aquareine. "The evil powers ofmagic which Zog controls may not prove to be as strong as the fairypowers I possess, but of course I cannot be positive until Idiscover what this wicked magician is able to do. "

Princess Clia was looking out of one of the windows. "I think I cansee an opening far up in the top of the dome, " she said. They allhastened to the windows to look, and although Trot and Cap'n Billcould see nothing but a solid dome above the castle--perhaps becauseit was so far away from them--the sharp eyes of Aquareine were notto be deceived. 

"Yes, " she announced, "there is surely an opening in the center ofthe great dome. A little thought must convince us that such anopening is bound to exist, for otherwise the water confined withinthe dome would not be fresh or clear. "

"Then if we could escape from this castle, we could swim up to thehole in the dome and get free!" exclaimed Trot. 

"Why, Zog has probably ordered the opening well guarded, as he hasall the other outlets, " responded the Queen. "Yet it may be worthwhile for us to make the attempt to get back into the broad oceanthis way. The night would be the best time, when all are asleep, andsurely it will be quicker to reach the ocean through this hole inthe roof than by means of the long, winding passages by which weentered. "

"But we will have to break out of the castle in some way, " observedCap'n Bill. 

"That will not be difficult, " answered Aquareine. "It will be notrouble for me to shatter one of these panes of glass, allowing usto pass out and swim straight up to the top of the dome. "

"Let's do it now!" said Trot eagerly. 

"No, my dear, we must wait for a good opportunity when we are notwatched closely. We do not wish the terrible Zog to thwart ourplan, " answered the Queen gently. 

Presently two sailor boys entered bearing trays of food, which theyplaced upon a large table. They were cheery-faced young fellows withgills at their throats, but had laughing eyes, and Trot wasastonished not to find any of the slaves of Zog weeping ormiserable. Instead, they were as jolly and good-natured as could beand seemed to like their life under the water. Cap'n Bill asked oneof the boys how many slaves were in the castle, and the youthreplied that he would try to count them and let him know. 

Tom Atto had, they found, prepared for them an excellent meal, andthey ate heartily because they were really hungry. After luncheonCap'n Bill smoked his pipe contentedly, and they renewed theirconversation, planning various ways to outwit Zog and make theirescape. While thus engaged, the gong at the door sounded and Sachoentered. 

"My diabolical master commands you to attend him, " said the boy. 

"When?" asked Aquareine. 

"At once, your Majesty. "

"Very well, we will follow you, " she said. So they swam down thecorridors following Sacho until they again reached the golden-domedroom they had formerly visited. Here sat Zog just as they had lefthim, seemingly, but when his prisoners entered, the magician aroseand stood upon his cloven feet and then silently walked to acurtained archway. 

Sacho commanded the prisoners to follow, and beyond the archway theyfound a vast chamber that occupied the center of the castle and wasas big as a ballroom. Zog, who seemed to walk with much difficultybecause his ungainly body swayed back and forth, did not go farbeyond the arched entrance. A golden throne was set nearby, and inthis the monster seated himself. At one side of the throne stood agroup of slaves. They were men, women and children. All had broadgold bands clasped around their ankles as a badge of servitude, andat each throat were the fish's gills that enabled them to breatheand live under water. Yet every face was smiling and serene, even inthe presence of their dread master. In parts of the big hall weregroups of other slaves. 

Sacho ranged the prisoners in a circle before Zog's throne, andslowly the magician turned his eyes, glowing like live coals, uponthe four. "Captives, " said he, speaking in his clear, sweet voice, "in our first interview you defied me, and both the mermaid queenand the princess declared they could not die. But if that is a truestatement, as I have yet to discover, there are various ways to makeyou miserable and unhappy, and this I propose to do in order toamuse myself at your expense. You have been brought here to undergothe first trial of strength between us. " None of the prisonersreplied to this speech, so Zog turned to one of his slaves and said, "Rivivi, bring in the Yell-Maker. "

Rivivi was a big fellow, brown of skin and with flashing, blackeyes. He bowed to his master and left the room by an archway coveredwith heavy draperies. The next moment these curtains were violentlypushed aside, and a dreadful sea creature swam into the hall. It hada body much like that of a crab, only more round and of a jet-blackcolor. Its eyes were bright yellow balls set on the ends of twohorns that stuck out of its head. They were cruel-looking eyes, too, and seemed able to see every person in the room at the same time. The legs of the Yell-Maker, however, were the most curious part ofthe creature. There were six of them, slender and black as coal, andeach extended twelve to fifteen feet from its body when stretchedout in a straight line. They were hinged in several places so theycould be folded up or extended at will. At the ends of these thinlegs were immense claws shaped like those of a lobster, and theywere real "nippers" of a most dangerous sort. 

The prisoners knew, as soon as they saw the awful claws, why thething was called the "Yell-Maker, " and Trot gave a little shiver andcrept closer to Cap'n Bill. Zog looked with approval upon thecreature he had summoned and said to it, "I give you four victims, the four people with fish's tails. Let me hear how loud they canyell. "

The Yell-Maker uttered a grunt of pleasure and in a flash stretchedout one of its long legs toward the queen's nose, where its powerfulclaws came together with a loud noise. Aquareine did not stir; sheonly smiled. Both Zog and the creature that had attacked her seemedmuch surprised to find she was unhurt. "Again!" cried Zog, and againthe Yell-Maker's claw shot out and tried to pinch the queen's prettyear. But the magic of the fairy mermaid was proof against thissea-rascal's strength and swiftness, nor could he touch any part ofAquareine, although he tried again and again, roaring with angerlike a mad bull. 

Trot began to enjoy this performance, and as her merry, childishlaughter rang out, the Yell-Maker turned furiously upon the littlegirl, two of the dreadful claws trying to nip her at the same time. She had no chance to cry out or jump backward, yet she remainedunharmed. For the Fairy Circle of Queen Aquareine kept her safe. NowCap'n Bill was attacked, and Princess Clia as well. The half-dozenslender legs darted in every direction like sword thrusts to reachtheir victims, and the cruel claws snapped so rapidly that the soundwas like the rattling of castanets. But the four prisoners regardedtheir enemy with smiling composure, and no yell greeted theYell-Maker's efforts. 

"Enough!" said Zog, softly and sweetly. "You may retire, my poorYell-Maker, for with these people you are powerless. "

The creature paused and rolled its yellow eyes. "May I nip just oneof the slaves, oh Zog?" it asked pleadingly. "I hate to leavewithout pleasing your ears with a single yell. "

"Let my slaves alone, " was Zog's answer. "They are here to serve meand must not be injured. Go, feeble one. "

"Not so!" cried the Queen. "It is a shame, Zog, that such an evilthing should exist in our fair sea. " With this, she drew her fairywand from a fold of her gown and waved it toward the creature. Atonce the Yell-Maker sank down unconscious upon the floor; its legsfell apart in many pieces, the claws tumbling in a heap beside thebody. Then all grew withered and lost shape, becoming a pulpy mass, like gelatin. A few moments later the creature had melted away tonothing at all, forever disappearing from the ocean where it hadcaused so much horror and pain. 

Zog watched this destruction with surprising patience. When it wasall over, he nodded his head and smiled, and Trot noticed thatwhenever Zog smiled, his slaves lost their jolly looks and began totremble. "That is very pretty magic, Aquareine, " said the monster. "I myself learned the trick several thousand years ago, so it doesnot astonish me. Have you fairies nothing that is new to show me?"

"We desire only to protect ourselves, " replied the Queen withdignity. 

"Then I will give you a chance to do so, " said Zog. As he spoke, thegreat marble blocks in the ceiling of the room directly over theheads of the captives gave way and came crashing down upon them. Many tons of weight were in these marble blocks, and the magicianhad planned to crush his victims where they stood. But the four werestill unharmed. The marble, being unable to touch them, was divertedfrom its course, and when the roar of the great crash had died away, Zog saw his intended victims standing quietly in their places andsmiling scornfully at his weak attempts to destroy them. 

CHAPTER 16

THE TOP OF THE GREAT DOME

Cap'n Bill's heart was beating pretty vast, but he did not let Zogknow that. Trot was so sure of the protection of the fairy mermaidsthat she would not allow herself to become frightened. Aquareine andClia were as calm as if nothing had happened. 

"Please excuse this little interruption, " said Zog. "I knew verywell the marble blocks would not hurt you. But the play is over fora time. You may now retire to your rooms, and when I again inviteyou to my presence, I shall have found some better ways to entertainyou. "

Without reply to this threat, they turned and followed Sacho fromthe hall, and the boy led them straight back to their own rooms. 

"Zog is making a great mistake, " said Sacho with a laugh. "He has notime for vengeance, but the great magician does not know that. "

"What is he trying to do, anyway?" asked Trot. 

"He does not tell me all his secrets, but I've an idea he wants tokill you, " replied Sacho. "How absurd it is to be plotting such athing when he might spend his time in laughing and being jolly!Isn't it, now?"

"Zog is a wicked, wicked creature!" exclaimed Trot. 

"But he had his good points, " replied Sacho cheerfully. "There is noone about in the world so bad that there is nothing good about him. "

"I'm not so sure of that, " said Cap'n Bill. "What are Zog's goodpoints?"

"All his slaves were saved from drowning, and he is kind to them, "said Sacho. 

"That is merely the kindness of selfishness, " said Aquareine. "Tellme, my lad, is the opening in the great dome outside guarded?"

"Yes indeed, " was the reply. "You cannot hope to escape in that way, for the prince of the sea devils, who is the largest and fiercest ofhis race, lies crouched over the opening night and day, and none canpass his network of curling legs. "

"Is there no avenue that is not guarded?" continued Aquareine. 

"None at all, your Majesty. Zog is always careful to be wellguarded, for he fears the approach of an enemy. What this enemy canbe to terrify the great magician I do not know, but Zog is alwaysafraid and never leaves an entrance unguarded. Besides, it is anenchanted castle, you know, and none in the ocean can see it unlessZog wishes him to. So it will be very hard for his enemy to findhim. "

"We wish to escape, " said Clia. "Will you help us, Sacho?"

"In any way I can, " replied the boy. 

"If we succeed, we will take you with us, " continued the Princess. 

But Sacho shook his head and laughed. "I would indeed like to seeyou escape Zog's vengeance, " said he, "for vengeance is wrong, andyou are too pretty and too good to be destroyed. But I am happy hereand have no wish to go away, having no other home or friends otherthan my fellow slaves. "

Then he left them, and when they were again alone, Aquareine said, "We were able to escape Zog's attacks today, but I am quite sure hewill plan more powerful ways to destroy us. He has shown that heknows some clever magic, and perhaps I shall not be able to foil it. So it will be well for us to escape tonight if possible. "

"Can you fight and conquer the big sea devil up in the dome?" askedTrot. 

The queen was thoughtful, and did not reply to this question atonce. But Cap'n Bill said uneasily, "I can't abide them devilcritters, an' I hopes, for my part, we won't be called on to tackle'em. You see, Trot, we're in consider'ble of a bad mess, an' if weever live to tell the tale--"

"Why not, Cap'n?" asked the child. "We're safe enough so far. Can'tyou trust our good friend, the queen?"

"She don't seem plumb sure o' things herself, " remarked the sailor. "The mermaids is all right an' friendly, mate, but this 'ere magicmaker, ol' Zog, is a bad one, out 'n' out, an' means to kill us ifhe can. "

"But he can't!" cried Trot bravely. 

"I hope you're right, dear. I wouldn't want to bet on Zog's chancesjes' yet, an' at the same time it would be riskin' money to bet onour chances. Seems to me it's a case of luck which wins. "

"Don't worry, friend, " said the Queen. "I have a plan to save us. Let us wait patiently until nightfall. " They waited in the RoseChamber a long time, talking earnestly together, but the brilliantlight that flooded both the room and the great dome outside did notfade in the least. After several hours had passed away, the gongsounded and Tom Atto again appeared, followed by four slaves bearingmany golden dishes upon silver trays. The friendly cook had prepareda fine dinner, and they were all glad to find that, whatever Zogintended to do to them, he had no intention of starving them. Perhaps the magician realized that Aquareine's fairy powers, if putto the test, would be able to provide food for her companions, butwhatever his object may have been, their enemy had given themsplendid rooms and plenty to eat. 

"Isn't it nearly nighttime?" asked the Queen as Tom Atto spread thetable with a cloth of woven seaweed and directed his men to placethe dishes upon it. 

"Night!" he exclaimed as if surprised. "There is no night here. "

"Doesn't it ever get dark?" inquired Trot. 

"Never. We know nothing of the passage of time or of day or night. The light always shines just as you see it now, and we sleepwhenever we are tired and rise again as soon as we are rested. "

"What causes the light?" Princess Clia asked. 

"It's magic, your Highness, " said the cook solemnly. "It's one ofthe curious things Zog is able to do. But you must remember all thisplace is a big cave in which the castle stands, so the light isnever seen by anyone except those who live here. "

"But why does Zog keep his light going all the time?" asked theQueen. 

"I suppose it is because he himself never sleeps, " replied Tom Atto. "They say the master hasn't slept for hundreds of years, not sinceAnko, the sea serpent, defeated him and drove him into this place. "

They asked no more questions and began to eat their dinner insilence. Before long, Cap'n Joe came in to visit his brother andtook a seat at the table with the prisoners. He proved a jollyfellow, and when he and Cap'n Bill talked about their boyhood days, the stories were so funny that everybody laughed and for a timeforgot their worries. 

When dinner was over, however, and Cap'n Joe had gone back to hiswork of sewing on buttons and the servants had carried away thedishes, the prisoners remembered their troubles and the fate thatawaited them. "I am much disappointed, " said the Queen, "to findthere is no night here and that Zog never sleeps. It will make ourescape more difficult. Yet we must make the attempt, and as we aretired and a great struggle is before us, it will be best for us tosleep and refresh ourselves. "

They agreed to this, for the day had been long and adventurous, soCap'n Bill kissed Trot and went in to the Peony Room, where he laydown upon his spongy couch and fell fast asleep. The mermaids andTrot followed this example, and I think none of them was muchworried, after all, because they quickly sank into peaceful slumberand forgot all the dangers that threatened them. 

CHAPTER 17

THE QUEEN'S GOLDEN SWORD

"Goodness me!" exclaimed Trot, raising herself by a flirt of herpink-scaled tail and a wave of her fins, "isn't it dreadful hothere?"

The mermaids had risen at the same time, and Cap'n Bill cameswimming in from the Peony Room in time to hear the little girl'sspeech. 

"Hot!" echoed the sailor. "Why, I feel like the inside of a steamengine!"

The perspiration was rolling down his round, red face, and he tookout his handkerchief and carefully wiped it away, waving his fishtail gently at the same time. 

"What we need most in this room, " said he, "is a fan. "

"What's the trouble, do you s'pose?" inquired Trot. 

"It is another trick of the monster Zog, " answered the Queen calmly. "He has made the water in our rooms boiling hot, and if it couldtouch us, we would be well cooked by this time. Even as it is, weare all made uncomfortable by breathing the heated air. "

"What shall we do, ma'am?" the sailor man asked with a groan. "Iexpected to get into hot water afore we've done with thisfoolishness, but I don't like the feel o' bein' parboiled, jes' thesame. "

The queen was waving her fairy wand and paid no attention to Cap'nBill's moans. Already the water felt cooler, and they began tobreathe more easily. In a few moments more, the heat had passed fromthe surrounding water altogether, and all danger from this sourcewas over. 

"This is better, " said Trot gratefully. 

"Do you care to sleep again?" asked the Queen. 

"No, I'm wide awake now, " answered the child. 

"I'm afraid if I goes to sleep ag'in, I'll wake up a pot roast, "said Cap'n Bill. 

"Let us consider ways to escape, " suggested Clia. "It seems uselessfor us to remain here quietly until Zog discovers a way to destroyus. "

"But we must not blunder, " added Aquareine cautiously. "To fail inour attempt would be to acknowledge Zog's superior power, so we mustthink well upon our plan before we begin to carry it out. What doyou advise, sir?" she asked, turning to Cap'n Bill. 

"My opinion, ma'am, is that the only way for us to escape is to getout o' here, " was the sailor's vague answer. "How to do it is yourbusiness, seein' as I ain't no fairy myself, either in looks or ineddication. "

The queen smiled and said to Trot, "What is your opinion, my dear?"

"I think we might swim out the same way we came in, " answered thechild. "If we could get Sacho to lead us back through the maze, wewould follow that long tunnel to the open ocean, and--"

"And there would be the sea devils waitin' for us, " added Cap'n Billwith a shake of his bald head. "They'd drive us back inter thetunnel like they did the first time, Trot. It won't do, mate, itwon't do. "

"Have you a suggestion, Clia?" inquired the Queen. 

"I have thought of an undertaking, " replied the pretty princess, "but it is a bold plan, your Majesty, and you may not care to riskit. "

"Let us hear it, anyway, " said Aquareine encouragingly. 

"It is to destroy Zog himself and put him out of the world forever. Then we would be free to go home whenever we pleased. "

"Can you suggest a way to destroy Zog?" asked Aquareine. 

"No, your Majesty, " Clia answered. "I must leave the way for you todetermine. "

"In the old days, " said the Queen thoughtfully, "the mighty KingAnko could not destroy this monster. He succeeded in defeating Zogand drove him into this great cavern, but even Anko could notdestroy him. "

"I have heard the sea serpent explain that it was because he couldnot reach the magician, " returned Clia. "If King Anko could haveseized Zog in his coils, he would have made an end of the wickedmonster quickly. Zog knows this, and that is why he does not ventureforth from his retreat. Anko is the enemy he constantly dreads. Butwith you, my queen, the case is different. You may easily reach Zog, and the only question is whether your power is sufficient to destroyhim. "

For a while Aquareine remained silent. "I am not sure of my powerover him, " she said at last, "and for that reason I hesitate toattack him personally. His slaves and his allies, the sea devils, Ican easily conquer, so I prefer to find a way to overcome the guardsat the entrances rather than to encounter their terrible master. Buteven the guards have been given strength and power by the magician, as we have already discovered, so I must procure a weapon with whichto fight them. "

"A weapon, ma'am?" said Cap'n Bill, and then he took a jackknifefrom his coat pocket and opened the big blade, afterward handing itto the queen. "That ain't a bad weapon, " he announced. 

"But it is useless in this case, " she replied, smiling at the oldsailor's earnestness. "For my purpose I must have a golden sword. "

"Well, there's plenty of gold around this castle, " said Trot, looking around her. "Even in this room there's enough to make ahundred golden swords. "

"But we can't melt or forge gold under water, mate, " the Cap'n said. 

"Why not? Don't you s'pose all these gold roses and things were madeunder water?" asked the little girl. 

"Like enough, " remarked the sailor, "but I don't see how. "

Just then the gong at the door sounded, and the boy Sacho came insmiling and cheerful as ever. He said Zog had sent him to inquireafter their health and happiness. "You may tell him that his waterbecame a trifle too warm, so we cooled it, " replied the Queen. Thenthey told Sacho how the boiling water had made them uncomfortablewhile they slept. 

Sacho whistled a little tune and seemed thoughtful. "Zog isfoolish, " said he. "How often have I told him that vengeance is awaste of time. He is worried to know how to destroy you, and that iswasting more time. You are worried for fear he will injure you, andso you also are wasting time. My, my! What a waste of time is goingon in this castle!"

"Seems to me that we have so much time it doesn't matter, " saidTrot. "What's time for, anyhow?"

"Time is given us to be happy, and for no other reason, " replied theboy soberly. "When we waste time, we waste happiness. But there isno time for preaching, so I'll go. "

"Please wait a moment, Sacho, " said the Queen. 

"Can I do anything to make you happy?" he asked, smiling again. 

"Yes, " answered Aquareine. "We are curious to know who does all thisbeautiful gold work and ornamentation. "

"Some of the slaves here are goldsmiths, having been taught by Zogto forge and work metal under water, " explained Sacho. "In parts ofthe ocean lie many rocks filled with veins of pure gold and goldennuggets, and we get large supplies from sunken ships as well. Thereis no lack of gold here, but it is not as precious as it is upon theearth because here we have no need of money. "

"We would like to see the goldsmiths at work, " announced the Queen. 

The boy hesitated a moment. Then he said, "I will take you to theirroom, where you may watch them for a time. I will not ask Zog'spermission to do this, for he might refuse. But my orders were toallow you the liberty of the castle, and so I will let you see thegoldsmiths' shop. "

"Thank you, " replied Aquareine quietly, and then the four followedSacho along various corridors until they came to a large room wherea dozen men were busily at work. Lying here and there were heaps ofvirgin gold, some in its natural state and some already fashionedinto ornaments and furniture of various sorts. Each man worked at abench where there was a curious iron furnace in which glowed avivid, white light. Although this workshop was all under water andthe workmen were all obliged to breathe as fishes do, the furnacesglowed so hot that the water touching them was turned into steam. Gold or other metal held over a furnace quickly softened or melted, when it could be forged or molded into any shape desired. 

"The furnaces are electric, " explained Sacho, "and heat as wellunder water as they would in the open air. Let me introduce you tothe foreman, who will tell you of his work better than I can. "

The foreman was a slave named Agga-Groo, who was lean and lank andhad an expression more surly and unhappy than any slave they had yetseen. Yet he seemed willing to leave his work and explain to thevisitors how he made so many beautiful things out of gold, for hetook much pride in this labor and knew its artistic worth. Moreover, since he had been in Zog's castle these were the first strangers toenter his workshop, so he welcomed them in his own gruff way. 

The queen asked him if he was happy, and he shook his head andreplied, "It isn't like Calcutta, where I used to work in goldbefore I was wrecked at sea and nearly drowned. Zog rescued me andbrought me here a slave. It is a stupid life we lead, doing the samethings over and over every day, but perhaps it is better than beingdead. I'm not sure. The only pleasure I get in life is in creatingpretty things out of gold. "

"Could you forge me a golden sword?" asked the Queen, smilingsweetly upon the goldsmith. 

"I could, madam, but I won't unless Zog orders me to do it. "

"Do you like Zog better than you do me?" inquired Aquareine. 

"No, " was the answer. "I hate Zog. "

"Then won't you make the sword to please me and to show your skill?"pleaded the pretty mermaid. 

"I'm afraid of my master. He might not like it, " the man replied. 

"But he will never know, " said Princess Clia. 

"You cannot say what Zog knows or what he doesn't know, " growled theman. "I can't take chances of offending Zog, for I must live withhim always as a slave. " With this he turned away and resumed hiswork, hammering the leaf of a golden ship. 

Cap'n Bill had listened carefully to this conversation, and being awise old sailor in his way, he thought he understood the nature ofold Agga-Groo better than the mermaids did. So he went close to thegoldsmith, and feeling in the pockets of his coat drew out a silvercompass shaped like a watch. "I'll give you this if you'll make thequeen the golden sword, " he said. 

Agga-Groo looked at the compass with interest and tested its powerof pointing north. Then he shook his head and handed it back toCap'n Bill. The sailor dived into his pocket again and pulled out apair of scissors, which he placed beside the compass on the palm ofhis big hand. "You may have them both, " he said. 

Agga-Groo hesitated, for he wanted the scissors badly, but finallyhe shook his head again. Cap'n Bill added a piece of cord, an ironthimble, some fishhooks, four buttons and a safety pin, but stillthe goldsmith would not be tempted. So with a sigh the sailorbrought out his fine, big jackknife, and at sight of thisAgga-Groo's eyes began to sparkle. Steel was not to be had at thebottom of the sea, although gold was so plentiful. "All right, friend, " he said. "Give me that lot of trinkets and I'll make you apretty gold sword. But it won't be any good except to look at, forour gold is so pure that it is very soft. "

"Never mind that, " replied Cap'n Bill. "All we want is the sword. "

The goldsmith set to work at once, and so skillful was he that in afew minutes he had forged a fine sword of yellow gold with anornamental handle. The shape was graceful and the blade keen andslender. It was evident to them all that the golden sword would notstand hard use, for the edge of the blade would nick and curl likelead, but the queen was delighted with the prize and took it eagerlyin her hand. 

Just then Sacho returned to say that they must go back to theirrooms, and after thanking the goldsmith, who was so busy examininghis newly acquired treasure that he made no response, they joyfullyfollowed the boy back to the Rose Chamber. Sacho told them that hehad just come from Zog, who was still wasting time in plottingvengeance. "You must be careful, " he advised them, "for my cruelmaster intends to stop you from living, and he may succeed. Don't beunhappy, but be careful. Zog is angry because you escaped hisYell-Maker and the falling stones and the hot water. While he isangry he is wasting time, but that will not help you. Take care notto waste any time yourselves. "

"Do you know what Zog intends to do to us next?" asked PrincessClia. 

"No, " said Sacho, "but it is reasonable to guess that, being evil, he intends evil. He never intends to do good, I assure you. " Thenthe boy went away. 

"I am no longer afraid, " declared the Mermaid Queen when they werealone. "When I have bestowed certain fairy powers upon this goldensword, it will fight its way against any who dare oppose us, andeven Zog himself will not care to face so powerful a weapon. I amnow able to promise you that we shall make our escape. "

"Good!" cried Trot joyfully. "Shall we start now?"

"Not yet, my dear. It will take me a little while to charm thisgolden blade so that it will obey my commands and do my work. Thereis no need of undue haste, so I propose we all sleep for a time andobtain what rest we can. We must be fresh and ready for our greatadventure. "

As their former nap had been interrupted, they readily agreed toAquareine's proposal and at once went to their couches and composedthemselves to slumber. When they were asleep, the fairy mermaidcharmed her golden sword and then she also lay down to rest herself. 

CHAPTER 18

A DASH FOR LIBERTY

Trot dreamed that she was at home in her own bed, but the nightseemed chilly and she wanted to draw the coverlet up to her chin. She was not wide awake, but realized that she was cold and unable tomove her arms to cover herself up. She tried, but could not stir. Then she roused herself a little more and tried again. Yes, it wascold, very cold! Really, she MUST do something to get warm, shethought. She opened her eyes and stared at a great wall of ice infront of her. 

She was awake now, and frightened, too. But she could not movebecause the ice was all around her. She was frozen inside of it, andthe air space around her was not big enough to allow her to turnover. 

At once the little girl realized what had happened. Their wickedenemy Zog had by his magic art frozen all the water in their roomwhile they slept, and now they were all imprisoned and helpless. Trot and Cap'n Bill were sure to freeze to death in a short time, for only a tiny air space remained between their bodies and the ice, and this air was like that of a winter day when the thermometer isbelow zero. 

Across the room Trot could see the mermaid queen lying on her couch, for the solid ice was clear as crystal. Aquareine was imprisonedjust as Trot was, and although she held her fairy wand in one handand the golden sword in the other, she seemed unable to move eitherof them, and the girl remembered that the queen always waved hermagic wand to accomplish anything. Princess Clia's couch was behindthat of Trot, so the child could not see her, and Cap'n Bill was inhis own room, probably frozen fast in the ice as the others were. 

The terrible Zog has surely been very clever in this last attempt todestroy them. Trot thought it all over, and she decided thatinasmuch as the queen was unable to wave her fairy wand, she coulddo nothing to release herself or her friends. 

But in this the girl was mistaken. The fairy mermaid was even now atwork trying to save them, and in a few minutes Trot was astonishedand delighted to see the queen rise from her couch. She could not gofar from it at first, but the ice was melting rapidly all around herso that gradually Aquareine approached the place where the childlay. Trot could hear the mermaid's voice sounding through the ice asif from afar off, but it grew more distinct until she could make outthat the queen was saying, "Courage, friends! Do not despair, forsoon you will be free. "

Before very long the ice between Trot and the queen had melted awayentirely, and with a cry of joy the little girl flopped her pinktail and swam to the side of her deliverer. 

"Are you very cold?" asked Aquareine. 

"N-not v-v-very!" replied Trot, but her teeth chattered and she wasstill shivering. 

"The water will be warm in a few minutes, " said the Queen. "But nowI must melt the rest of the ice and liberate Clia. "

This she did in an astonishingly brief time, and the prettyprincess, being herself a fairy, had not been at all affected by thecold surrounding her. 

They now swam to the door of Cap'n Bill's room and found the PeonyChamber a solid block of ice. The queen worked her magic power ashard as she could, and the ice flowed and melted quickly before herfairy wand. Yet when they reached the old sailor, he was almostfrozen stiff, and Trot and Clia had to rub his hands and nose andears very briskly to warm him up and bring him back to life. 

Cap'n Bill was pretty tough, and he came around, in time, and openedhis eyes and sneezed and asked if the blizzard was over. So thequeen waved her wand over his head a few times to restore him to hisnatural condition of warmth, and soon the old sailor became quitecomfortable and was able to understand all about the strangeadventure from which he had so marvelously escaped. 

"I've made up my mind to one thing, Trot, " he said confidentially. "If ever I get out o' this mess I'm in, I won't be an Arcticexplorer, whatever else happens. Shivers an' shakes ain't to mylikin', an' this ice business ain't what it's sometimes cracked upto be. To be friz once is enough fer anybody, an' if I was a gallike you, I wouldn't even wear frizzes on my hair. "

"You haven't any hair, Cap'n Bill, " answered Trot, "so you needn'tworry. "

The queen and Clia had been talking together very earnestly. Theynow approached their earth friends, and Aquareine said:

"We have decided not to remain in this castle any longer. Zog'scruel designs upon our lives and happiness are becoming toodangerous for us to endure. The golden sword now bears a fairycharm, and by its aid I will cut a way through our enemies. Are youready and willing to follow me?"

"Of course we are!" cried Trot. 

"It don't seem 'zactly right to ask a lady to do the fightin', "remarked Cap'n Bill, "but magic ain't my strong p'int, and it seemsto be yours, ma'am. So swim ahead, and we'll wiggle the same way youdo, an' try to wiggle out of our troubles. "

"If I chance to fail, " said the Queen, "try not to blame me. I willdo all in my power to provide for our escape, and I am willing torisk everything, because I well know that to remain here will meanto perish in the end. "

"That's all right, " said Trot with fine courage. "Let's have it overwith. "

"Then we will leave here at once, " said Aquareine. 

She approached the window of the room and with one blow of hergolden sword shattered the thick pane of glass. The opening thusmade was large enough for them to swim through if they were carefulnot to scrape against the broken points of glass. The queen wentfirst, followed by Trot and Cap'n Bill, with Clia last of all. 

And now they were in the vast dome in which the castle and gardensof Zog had been built. Around them was a clear stretch of water, andfar above--full half a mile distant--was the opening in the roofguarded by the prince of the sea devils. The mermaid queen haddetermined to attack this monster. If she succeeded in destroying itwith her golden sword, the little band of fugitives might then swimthrough the opening into the clear waters of the ocean. Althoughthis prince of the sea devils was said to be big and wise andmighty, there was but one of him to fight; whereas, if theyattempted to escape through any of the passages, they must encounterscores of such enemies. 

"Swim straight for the opening in the dome!" cried Aquareine, and inanswer to the command, the four whisked their glittering tails, waved their fins, and shot away through the water at full speed, their course slanting upward toward the top of the dome. 

CHAPTER 19

KING ANKO TO THE RESCUE

The great magician Zog never slept. He was always watchful andalert. Some strange power warned him that his prisoners were aboutto escape. 

Scarcely had the four left the castle by the broken window when themonster stepped from a doorway below and saw them. Instantly he blewupon a golden whistle, and at the summons a band of wolf-fishappeared and dashed after the prisoners. These creatures swam soswiftly that soon they were between the fugitives and the dome, andthen they turned and with wicked eyes and sharp fangs began a fierceattack upon the mermaids and the earth dwellers. 

Trot was a little frightened at the evil looks of the sea wolves, whose heads were enormous, and whose jaws contained rows of curvedand pointed teeth. But Aquareine advanced upon them with her goldensword, and every touch of the charmed weapon instantly killed anenemy, so that one by one the wolf-fish rolled over upon their backsand sank helplessly downward through the water, leaving theprisoners free to continue their way toward the opening in the dome. 

Zog witnessed the destruction of his wolves and uttered a loud laughthat was terrible to hear. Then the dread monster determined toarrest the fugitives himself, and in order to do this he was forcedto discover himself in all the horror of his awful form, a form hewas so ashamed of and loathed so greatly that he always strove tokeep it concealed, even from his own view. But it was important thathis prisoners should not escape. Hastily casting off the folds ofthe robe that enveloped him, Zog allowed his body to uncoil andshoot upward through the water in swift pursuit of his victims. Hiscloven hoofs, upon which he usually walked, being now useless, weredrawn up under him, while coil after coil of his eel-like bodywriggled away like a serpent. At his shoulders two broad, featherywings expanded, and these enabled the monster to cleave his waythrough the water with terrific force. 

Zog was part man, part beast, part fish, part fowl, and partreptile. His undulating body was broad and thin and like the body ofan eel. It was as repulsive as one could well imagine, and no wonderZog hated it and kept it covered with his robe. Now, with his hornedhead and its glowing eyes thrust forward, wings flapping from hisshoulders and his eely body--ending in a fish's tail--wriggling farbehind him, this strange and evil creature was a thing of terroreven to the sea dwellers, who were accustomed to remarkable sights. 

The mermaids, the sailor and the child, one after another lookingback as they swam toward liberty and safety, saw the monster comingand shuddered with uncontrollable fear. They were drawing nearer tothe dome by this time, yet it was still some distance away. The fourredoubled their speed, darting through the water with the swiftnessof skyrockets. But fast as they swam, Zog swam faster, and the goodqueen's heart began to throb as she realized she would be forced tofight her loathesome foe. 

Presently Zog's long body was circling around them like a whirlwind, lashing the water into foam and gradually drawing nearer and nearerto his victims. His eyes were no longer glowing coals, they wereballs of flame, and as he circled around them, he laughed aloud thathorrible laugh which was far more terrifying than any cry of ragecould be. The queen struck out with her golden sword, but Zogwrapped a coil of his thin body around it and, wrestling it from herhand, crushed the weapon into a shapeless mass. Then Aquareine wavedher fairy wand, but in a flash the monster sent it flying awaythrough the water. 

Cap'n Bill now decided that they were lost. He drew Trot closer tohis side and placed one arm around her. "I can't save you, dearlittle mate, " he said sadly, "but we've lived a long time together, an' now we'll die together. I knew, Trot, when first we sawr themmermaids, as we'd--we'd--"

"Never live to tell the tale, " said the child. "But never mind, Cap'n Bill, we've done the best we could, and we've had a finetime. "

"Forgive me! Oh, forgive me!" cried Aquareine despairingly. "I triedto save you, my poor friends, but--"

"What's that?" exclaimed the Princess, pointing upward. They alllooked past Zog's whirling body, which was slowly enveloping them inits folds, toward the round opening in the dome. A dark object hadappeared there, sliding downward like a huge rope and descendingtoward them with lightning rapidly. They gave a great gasp as theyrecognized the countenance of King Anko, the sea serpent, its grayhair and whiskers bristling like those of an angry cat, and theusually mild blue eyes glowing with a ferocity even more terrifyingthan the orbs of Zog. 

The magician gave a shrill scream at sight of his dreaded enemy, andabandoning his intended victims, Zog made a quick dash to escape. But nothing in the sea could equal the strength and quickness ofKing Anko when he was roused. In a flash the sea serpent had caughtZog fast in his coils, and his mighty body swept round the monsterand imprisoned him tightly. The four, so suddenly rescued, swam awayto a safer distance from the struggle, and then they turned to watchthe encounter between the two great opposing powers of the ocean'sdepths. Yet there was no desperate fight to observe, for thecombatants were unequal. The end came before they were aware of it. Zog had been taken by surprise, and his great fear of Anko destroyedall of his magic power. When the sea serpent slowly released thoseawful coils, a mass of jelly-like pulp floated downward through thewater with no remnant of life remaining in it, no form to show ithad once been Zog, the Magician. 

Then Anko shook his body that the water might cleanse it, andadvanced his head toward the group of four whom he had soopportunely rescued. "It is all over, friends, " said he in hisgentle tones, while a mild expression once more reigned on hiscomical features. "You may go home at any time you please, for theway through the dome will be open as soon as I get my own bodythrough it. "

Indeed, so amazing was the length of the great sea serpent that onlya part of him had descended through the hole into the dome. Withoutwaiting for the thanks of those he had rescued, he swiftly retreatedto the ocean above, and with grateful hearts they followed him, gladto leave the cavern where they had endured so much anxiety anddanger. 

CHAPTER 20

THE HOME OF THE OCEAN MONARCH

Trot sobbed quietly with her head on Cap'n Bill's shoulder. She hadbeen a brave little girl during the trying times they hadexperienced and never once had she given way to tears, howeverdesperate their fate had seemed to be. But now that the one enemy inall the sea to be dreaded was utterly destroyed and all dangers werepast, the reaction was so great that she could not help having "justone good cry, " as she naively expressed it. 

Cap'n Bill was a big sailor man hardened by age and many adventures, but even he felt a "Lump in his throat" that he could not swallow, try as hard as he might. Cap'n Bill was glad. He was mostly glad onTrot's account, for he loved his sweet, childish companion verydearly, and did not want any harm to befall her. 

They were now in the wide, open sea, with liberty to go whereverthey wished, and if Cap'n Bill could have "had his way, " he wouldhave gone straight home and carried Trot to her mother. But themermaids must be considered. Aquareine and Clia had been true andfaithful friends to their earth guests while dangers werethreatening, and it would not be very gracious to leave them atonce. Moreover, King Anko was now with them, his big head keepingpace with the mermaids as they swam, and this mighty preserver had adistinct claim upon Trot and Cap'n Bill. The sailor felt that itwould not be polite to ask to go home so soon. 

"If you people had come to visit me as I invited you to do, " saidthe Sea Serpent, "all this bother and trouble would have been saved. I had my palace put in order to receive the earth dwellers and satin my den waiting patiently to receive you. Yet you never came atall. "

"That reminds me, " said Trot, drying her eyes, "you never told usabout that third pain you once had. "

"Finally, " continued Anko, "I sent to inquire as to what had becomeof you, and Merla said you had been gone from the palace a long timeand she was getting anxious about you. Then I made inquiries. Everyone in the sea loves to serve me--except those sea devils andtheir cousins, the octopi--and it wasn't long before I heard you hadbeen captured by Zog. "

"Was the third pain as bad as the other two?" asked Trot. 

"Naturally this news disturbed me and made me unhappy, " said Anko, "for I well knew, my Aquareine, that the magician's evil powers weregreater than your own fairy accomplishments. But I had never beenable to find Zog's enchanted castle, and so I was at a loss to knowhow to save you from your dreadful fate. After I had wasted a gooddeal of time thinking it over, I decided that if the sea devils wereslaves of Zog, the prince of the sea devils must know where theenchanted castle was located. 

"I knew this prince and where to find him, for he always lay on ahollow rock on the bottom of the sea and never moved from thatposition. His people brought food to him and took his commands. So Ihad no trouble in finding this evil prince, and I went to him andasked the way to Zog's castle. Of course, he would not tell me. Hewas even cross and disrespectful, just as I had expected him to be, so I allowed myself to become angry and killed him, thinking he wasmuch better dead than alive. But after the sea devil was destroyed, what was my surprise to find that all these years he had been lyingover a round hole in the rock and covering it with his scarlet body!

"A light shone through this hole, so I thrust my head in and found agreat domed cave underneath with a splendid silver castle built atthe bottom. You, my friends, were at that moment swimming toward meas fast as you could come, and the monster Zog, my enemy forcenturies past, was close behind you. Well, the rest of the storyyou know. I would be angry with all of you for so carelessly gettingcaptured, had the incident not led to the destruction of the oneevil genius in all my ocean. I shall rest easier and be much happiernow that Zog is dead. He has defied me for hundreds of years. "

"But about that third pain, " said Trot. "If you don't tell us now, I'm afraid that I'll forget to ask you. "

"If you should happen to forget, just remind me of it, " said Anko, "and I'll be sure to tell you. "

While Trot was thinking this over, the swimmers drew near to agreat, circular palace made all of solid alabaster polished assmooth as ivory. Its roof was a vast dome, for domes seemed to befashionable in the ocean houses. There were no doors or windows, butinstead of these, several round holes appeared in different parts ofthe dome, some being high up and some low down and some in between. Out of one of these holes, which it just fitted, stretched the long, brown body of the sea serpent. Trot, being astonished at this sight, asked, "Didn't you take all of you when you went to the cavern, Anko?"

"Nearly all, my dear, " was the reply, accompanied by a cheerfulsmile, for Anko was proud of his great length. "But not quite all. Some of me remained, as usual, to keep house while my head was away. But I've been coiling up ever since we started back, and you willsoon be able to see every inch of me all together. "

Even as he spoke, his head slid into the round hole, and at a signalfrom Aquareine they all paused outside and waited. Presently therecame to them four beautiful winged fishes with faces like dollbabies. Their long hair and eyelashes were of a purple color, andtheir cheeks had rosy spots that looked as if they had been paintedupon them. "His Majesty bids you welcome, " said one of the dollfishes in a sweet voice. "Be kind enough to enter the royal palace, and our ocean monarch will graciously receive you. "

"Seems to me, " said Trot to the queen, "these things are putting onairs. Perhaps they don't know we're friends of Anko. "

"The king insists on certain formalities when anyone visits him, "was Aquareine's reply. "It is right that his dignity should bemaintained. "

They followed their winged conductors to one of the upper openings, and as they entered it Aquareine said in a clear voice, "May theglory and power of the ocean king continue forever!" Then shetouched the palm of her hand to her forehead in token of allegiance, and Clia did the same, so Cap'n Bill and Trot followed suit. Thebrief ceremony being ended, the child looked curiously around to seewhat the palace of the mighty Anko was like. 

An extensive hall lined with alabaster was before them. In the floorwere five of the round holes. Upon the walls were engraved manyinteresting scenes of ocean life, all chiseled very artistically bythe tusks of walruses who, Trot was afterward informed, are greatlyskilled in such work. A few handsome rugs of woven sea grasses werespread upon the floor, but otherwise the vast hall was bare offurniture. The doll-faced fishes escorted them to an upper roomwhere a table was set, and here the revelers were invited to refreshthemselves. As all four were exceedingly hungry, they welcomed therepast, which was served by an army of lobsters in royal purpleaprons and caps. 

The meal being finished, they again descended to the hall, whichseemed to occupy all the middle of the building. And now theirconductors said, "His Majesty is ready to receive you in his den. "

They swam downward through one of the round holes in the floor andfound themselves in a brilliantly lighted chamber which appearedbigger than all the rest of the palace put together. In the centerwas the quaint head of King Anko, and around it was spread a greatcoverlet of purple and gold woven together. This concealed all ofhis body and stretched from wall to wall of the circular room. "Welcome, friends!" said Anko pleasantly. "How do you like my home?"

"It's very grand, " replied Trot. 

"Just the place for a sea serpent, seems to me, " said Cap'n Bill. 

"I'm glad you admire it, " said the King. "Perhaps I ought to tellyou that from this day you four belong to me. "

"How's that?" asked the girl, surprised. 

"It is a law of the ocean, " declared Anko, "that whoever saves anyliving creature from violent death owns that creature foreverafterward, while life lasts. You will realize how just this law iswhen you remember that had I not saved you from Zog, you would nowbe dead. The law was suggested by Captain Kid Glove, when he oncevisited me. "

"Do you mean Captain Kidd?" asked Trot. "Because if you do--"

"Give him his full name, " said Anko. "Captain Kid Glove was--"

"There's no glove to it, " protested Trot. "I ought to know, 'causeI've read about him. "

"Didn't it say anything about a glove?" asked Anko. 

"Nothing at all. It jus' called him Cap'n Kidd, " replied Trot. 

"She's right, ol' man, " added Cap'n Bill. 

"Books, " said the Sea Serpent, "are good enough as far as they go, but it seems to me your earth books don't go far enough. Captain KidGlove was a gentleman pirate, a kid-glove pirate. To leave off theglove and call him just Kidd is very disrespectful. "

"Oh! You told me to remind you of that third pain, " said the littlegirl. 

"Which proves my friendship for you, " returned the Sea Serpent, blinking his blue eyes thoughtfully. "No one likes to be reminded ofa pain, and that third pain was--was--"

"What was it?" asked Trot. 

"It was a stomach ache, " replied the King with a sigh. 

"What made it?" she inquired. 

"Just my carelessness, " said Anko. "I'd been away to foreign parts, seeing how the earth people were getting along. I found the Germansdancing the german and the Dutch making dutch cheese and theBelgians combing their belgian hares and the Turks eating turkey andthe Sardinians sardonically pickling sardines. Then I called on thePrince of Whales, and--"

"You mean the Prince of Wales, " corrected Trot. 

"I mean what I say, my dear. I saw the battlefield where the BullRun but the Americans didn't, and when I got to France I paid anapoleon to see Napoleon with his boney apart. He was--"

"Of course you mean--" Trot was beginning, but the king would notgive her a chance to correct him this time. 

"He was very hungry for Hungary, " he continued, "and was Russian sofast toward the Poles that I thought he'd discover them. So as I wasnot accorded a royal welcome, I took French leave and came homeagain. "

"But the pain--"

"On the way home, " continued Anko calmly, "I was a littleabsent-minded and ate an anchor. There was a long chain attached toit, and as I continued to swallow the anchor I continued to eat thechain. I never realized what I had done until I found a ship on theother end of the chain. Then I bit it off. "

"The ship?" asked Trot. 

"No, the chain. I didn't care for the ship, as I saw it containedsome skippers. On the way home the chain and anchor began to lieheavily on my stomach. I didn't seem to digest them properly, and bythe time I got to my palace, where you will notice there is nothrone, I was thrown into throes of severe pain. So I at once sentfor Dr. Shark--"

"Are all your doctors sharks?" asked the child. 

"Yes, aren't your doctors sharks?" he replied. 

"Not all of them, " said Trot. 

"That is true, " remarked Cap'n Bill. "But when you talk oflawyers--"

"I'm not talking of lawyers, " said Anko reprovingly. "I'm talkingabout my pain. I don't imagine anyone could suffer more than I didwith that stomach ache. "

"Did you suffer long?" inquired Trot. 

"Why, about seven thousand four hundred and eighty-two feet and--"

"I mean a long time. "

"It seemed like a long time, " answered the King. "Dr. Shark said Iought to put a mustard poultice on my stomach, so I uncoiled myselfand summoned my servants, and they began putting on the mustardplaster. It had to be bound all around me so it wouldn't slip off, and I began to look like an express package. In about four weeksfully one-half of the pain had been covered by the mustard poultice, which got so hot that it hurt me worse than the stomach ache did. "

"I know, " said Trot. "I had one, once. "

"One what?" asked Anko. 

"A mustard plaster. They smart pretty bad, but I guess they're agood thing. "

"I got myself unwrapped as soon as I could, " continued the King, "and then I hunted for the doctor, who hid himself until my angerhad subsided. He has never sent in a bill, so I think he must beterribly ashamed of himself. "

"You're lucky, sir, to have escaped so easy, " said Cap'n Bill. "Butyou seem pretty well now. "

"Yes, I'm more careful of what I eat, " replied the Sea Serpent. "ButI was saying when Trot interrupted me, that you all belong to me, because I have saved your lives. By the law of the ocean, you mustobey me in everything. "

The sailor scowled a little at hearing this, but Trot laughed andsaid, "The law of the ocean isn't OUR law, 'cause we live on land. "

"Just now you are living in the ocean, " declared Anko, "and as longas you live here, you must obey my commands. "

"What are your commands?" inquired the child. 

"Ah, that's the point I was coming to, " returned the King with hiscomical smile. "The ocean is a beautiful place, and we who belonghere love it dearly. In many ways it's a nicer place for a home thanthe earth, for we have no sunstroke, mosquitoes, earthquakes orcandy ships to bother us. But I am convinced that the ocean is noproper dwelling place for earth people, and I believe the mermaidsdid an unwise thing when they invited you to visit them. "

"I don't, " protested the girl. "We've had a fine time, haven't we, Cap'n Bill?"

"Well, it's been diff'rent from what I expected, " admitted thesailor. 

"Our only thought was to give the earth people pleasure, yourMajesty, " pleaded Aquareine. 

"I know, I know, my dear Queen, and it was very good of you, "replied Anko. "But still it was an unwise act, for earth people areas constantly in danger under water as we would be upon the land. Sohaving won the right to command you all, I order you to take littleMayre and Cap'n Bill straight home, and there restore them to theirnatural forms. It's a dreadful condition, I know, and they must eachhave two stumbling legs instead of a strong, beautiful fish tail, but it is the fate of earth dwellers, and they cannot escape it. "

"In my case, your Majesty, make it ONE leg, " suggested Cap'n Bill. 

"Ah yes, I remember. One leg and a wooden stick to keep it company. I issue this order, dear friends, not because I am not fond of yoursociety, but to keep you from getting into more trouble in a countrywhere all is strange and unnatural to you. Am I right, or do youthink I am wrong?"

"You're quite correct, sir, " said Cap'n Bill, nodding his head inapproval. 

"Well, I'm ready to go home, " said Trot. "But in spite of Zog, I'veenjoyed my visit, and I shall always love the mermaids for being sogood to me. " That speech pleased Aquareine and Clia, who smiled uponthe child and kissed her affectionately. 

"We shall escort you home at once, " announced the Queen. 

"But before you go, " said King Anko, "I will give you a rare treat. It is one you will remember as long as you live. You shall see everyinch of the mightiest sea serpent in the world, all at one time!"

As he spoke, the purple and gold cloth was lifted by unseen handsand disappeared from view. And now Cap'n Bill and Trot looked downupon thousands and thousands of coils of the sea serpent's body, which filled all of the space at the bottom of the immense circularroom. It reminded them of a great coil of garden hose, only it wasso much bigger around and very much longer. 

Except for the astonishing size of the Ocean King, the sight was notan especially interesting one, but they told old Anko that they werepleased to see him, because it was evident he was very fond of hisfigure. Then the cloth descended again and covered all but the head, after which they bade the king goodbye and thanked him for all hiskindness to them. 

"I used to think sea serpents were horrid creatures, " said Trot, "but now I know they are good and--and--and--"

"And big, " added Cap'n Bill, realizing his little friend could notfind another word that was complimentary. 

CHAPTER 21

KING JOE

As they swam out of Anko's palace and the doll-faced fishes leftthem, Aquareine asked:

"Would you rather go back to our mermaid home for a time and restyourselves or would you prefer to start for Giant's Cave at once?"

"I guess we'd better go back home, " decided Trot. "To our own home, I mean. We've been away quite a while, and King Anko seemed to thinkit was best. "

"Very well, " replied the Queen. "Let us turn in this direction, then. "

"You can say goodbye to Merla for us, " continued Trot. "She was verynice to us, an' 'specially to Cap'n Bill. "

"So she was, mate, " agreed the sailor, "an' a prettier lady I neverknew, even if she is a mermaid, beggin' your pardon, ma'am. "

"Are we going anywhere near Zog's castle?" asked the girl. 

"Our way leads directly past the opening in the dome, " saidAquareine. 

"Then let's stop and see what Sacho and the others are doing, "suggested Trot. "They can't be slaves any longer, you know, 'causethey haven't any master. I wonder if they're any happier than theywere before?"

"They seemed to be pretty happy as it was, " remarked Cap'n Bill. 

"It will do no harm to pay them a brief visit, " said Princess Clia. "All danger disappeared from the cavern with the destruction ofZog. "

"I really ought to say goodbye to Brother Joe, " observed the sailorman. "I won't see him again, you know, and I don't want to seemunbrotherly. "

"Very well, " said the Queen, "we will reenter the cavern, for I, too, am anxious to know what will be the fate of the poor slaves ofthe magician. "

When they came to the hole in the top of the dome, they droppedthrough it and swam leisurely down toward the castle. The water wasclear and undisturbed and the silver castle looked very quiet andpeaceful under the radiant light that still filled the cavern. Theymet no one at all, and passing around to the front of the building, they reached the broad entrance and passed into the golden hall. 

Here a strange scene met their eyes. All the slaves of Zog, hundredsin number, were assembled in the room, while standing before thethrone formerly occupied by the wicked magician was the boy Sacho, who was just beginning to make a speech to his fellow slaves. "Atone time or another, " he said, "all of us were born upon the earthand lived in the thin air, but now we are all living as the fisheslive, and our home is in the water of the ocean. One by one we havecome to this place, having been saved from drowning by Zog, theMagician, and by him given power to exist in comfort under water. The powerful master who made us his slaves has now passed awayforever, but we continue to live, and are unable to return to ournative land, where we would quickly perish. There is no one but usto inherit Zog's possessions, and so it will be best for us toremain in this fine castle and occupy ourselves as we have donebefore, in providing for the comforts of the community. Only inlabor is happiness to be found, and we may as well labor forourselves as for others. 

"But we must have a king. Not an evil, cruel master like Zog, butone who will maintain order and issue laws for the benefit of all. We will govern ourselves most happily by having a ruler, or head, selected from among ourselves by popular vote. Therefore I ask youto decide who shall be our king, for only one who is accepted by allcan sit in Zog's throne. "

The slaves applauded this speech, but they seemed puzzled to makethe choice of a ruler. Finally the chief cook came forward and said, "We all have our duties to perform and so cannot spend the time tobe king. But you, Sacho, who were Zog's own attendant, have now noduties at all. So it will be best for you to rule us. What say you, comrades? Shall we make Sacho king?"

"Yes, yes!" they all cried. 

"But I do not wish to be king, " replied Sacho. "A king is a uselesssort of person who merely issues orders for others to carry out. Iwant to be busy and useful. Whoever is king will need a goodattendant as well as an officer who will see that his commands areobeyed. I am used to such duties, having served Zog in this sameway. "

"Who, then, has the time to rule over us?" asked Agga-Groo, thegoldsmith. 

"It seems to me that Cap'n Joe is the proper person for king, "replied Sacho. "His former duty was to sew buttons on Zog'sgarments, so now he is out of a job and has plenty of time to beking, for he can sew on his own buttons. What do you say, Cap'nJoe?"

"Oh, I don't mind, " agreed Cap'n Joe. "That is, if you all want meto rule you. "

"We do!" shouted the slaves, glad to find someone willing to takethe job. 

"But I'll want a few pointers, " continued Cap'n Bill's brother. "Iain't used to this sort o' work, you know, an' if I ain't properlyposted I'm liable to make mistakes. "

"Sacho will tell you, " said Tom Atto encouragingly. "And now I mustgo back to the kitchen and look after my dumplings, or you peoplewon't have any dinner today. "

"Very well, " announced Sacho. "I hereby proclaim Cap'n Joe electedKing of the Castle, which is the Enchanted Castle no longer. You mayall return to your work. "

The slaves went away well contented, and the boy and Cap'n Joe nowcame forward to greet their visitors. "We're on our way home, "explained Cap'n Bill, "an' we don't expec' to travel this way again. But it pleases me to know, Joe, that you're the king o' such a finecastle, an' I'll rest easier now that you're well pervided for. "

"Oh, I'm all right, Bill, " returned Cap'n Joe. "It's an easy lifehere, an' a peaceful one. I wish you were as well fixed. "

"If ever you need friends, Sacho, or any assistance or counsel, cometo me, " said the Mermaid Queen to the boy. 

"Thank you, madam, " he replied. "Now that Zog has gone, I am sure weshall be very safe and contented. But I shall not forget to come toyou if we need you. We are not going to waste any time in anger orrevenge or evil deeds, so I believe we shall prosper from now on. "

"I'm sure you will, " declared Trot. 

They now decided that they must continue their journey, and asneither Sacho nor King Joe could ascend to the top of the domewithout swimming in the human way, which was slow and tedious workfor them, the goodbyes were said at the castle entrance, and thefour visitors started on their return. Trot took one last view ofthe beautiful silver castle from the hole high up in the dome, whichwas now open and unguarded, and the next moment she was in the broadocean again, swimming toward home beside her mermaid friends. 

CHAPTER 22

TROT LIVES TO TELL THE TALE

Aquareine was thoughtful for a time. Then she drew from her finger aring, a plain gold band set with a pearl of great value, and gave itto the little girl. 

"If at any period of your life the mermaids can be of service toyou, my dear, " she said, "you have but to come to the edge of theocean and call 'Aquareine. ' If you are wearing the ring at the time, I shall instantly hear you and come to your assistance. "

"Thank you!" cried the child, slipping the ring over her own chubbyfinger, which it fitted perfectly. "I shall never forget that I havegood and loyal friends in the ocean, you may be sure. "

Away and away they swam, swiftly and in a straight line, keeping inthe middle water where they were not liable to meet many sea people. They passed a few schools of fishes, where the teachers wereexplaining to the young ones how to swim properly, and to conductthemselves in a dignified manner, but Trot did not care to stop andwatch the exercises. 

Although the queen had lost her fairy wand in Zog's domed chamber, she had still enough magic power to carry them all across the oceanin wonderfully quick time, and before Trot and Cap'n Bill were awareof the distance they had come, the mermaids paused while PrincessClia said:

"Now we must go a little deeper, for here is the Giant's Cave andthe entrance to it is near the bottom of the sea. "

"What, already?" cried the girl joyfully, and then through the darkwater they swam, passing through the rocky entrance, and began toascend slowly into the azure-blue water of the cave. 

"You've been awfully good to us, and I don't know jus' how to thankyou, " said Trot earnestly. 

"We have enjoyed your visit to us, " said beautiful Queen Aquareine, smiling upon her little friend, "and you may easily repay anypleasure we have given you by speaking well of the mermaids when youhear ignorant earth people condemning us. "

"I'll do that, of course, " exclaimed the child. 

"How about changin' us back to our reg'lar shapes?" inquired Cap'nBill anxiously. 

"That will be very easy, " replied Princess Clia with her merrylaugh. "See! Here we are at the surface of the water. "

They pushed their heads above the blue water and looked around thecave. It was silent and deserted. Floating gently near the spotwhere they had left it was their own little boat. Cap'n Bill swam toit, took hold of the side, and then turned an inquiring face towardthe mermaids. "Climb in, " said the Queen. So he pulled himself upand awkwardly tumbled forward into the boat. As he did so, he heardhis wooden leg clatter against the seat, and turned around to lookat it wonderingly. 

"It's me, all right!" he muttered. "One meat one, an' one hick'ryone. That's the same as belongs to me!"

"Will you lift Mayre aboard?" asked Princess Clia. 

The old sailor aroused himself, and as Trot lifted up her arms, heseized them and drew her safely into the boat. She was dressed justas usual, and her chubby legs wore shoes and stockings. Strangelyenough, neither of them were at all wet or even damp in any part oftheir clothing. 

"I wonder where our legs have been while we've been gone?" musedCap'n Bill, gazing at his little friend in great delight. 

"And I wonder what's become of our pretty pink and green scaledtails!" returned the girl, laughing with glee, for it seemed good tobe herself again. 

Queen Aquareine and Princess Clia were a little way off, lying withtheir pretty faces just out of the water while their hair floated insoft clouds around them. 

"Goodbye, friends!" they called. 

"Goodbye!" shouted both Trot and Cap'n Bill, and the little girlblew two kisses from her fingers toward the mermaids. 

Then the faces disappeared, leaving little ripples on the surface ofthe water. 

Cap'n Bill picked up the oars and slowly headed the boat toward themouth of the cave. 

"I wonder, Trot, if your ma has missed us, " he remarked uneasily. 

"Of course not, " replied the girl. "She's been sound asleep, youknow. "

As the boat crept out into the bright sunlight, they were bothsilent, but each sighed with pleasure at beholding their owneveryday world again. 

Finally Trot said softly, "The land's the best, Cap'n. "

"It is, mate, for livin' on, " he answered. 

"But I'm glad to have seen the mermaids, " she added. . 

"Well, so'm I, Trot, " he agreed. "But I wouldn't 'a' believed anymortal could ever 'a' seen 'em an'--an'--"

Trot laughed merrily. 

"An' lived to tell the tale!" she cried, her eyes dancing withmischief. "Oh, Cap'n Bill, how little we mortals know!"

"True enough, mate, " he replied, "but we're a-learnin' somethingev'ry day. "

THE END